Surprise!
by ExcalibursZone
Summary: [COMPLETE] Hermione is jealous of her best female friend. She wasn't there to ease his pain but Ginny was. She was blissfully unaware of her best friend's new relationship until after she discovered her feelings for him. (PK Challenges see AN inside ...)
1. Two Ships That Passed in the Night

**A/N:** This is a combined challenge: Jealousy (first paragraph – finish that fic) by spikesbitch and Don't by kezbo. I may have taken a few liberties with the first paragraph of Jealousy, but that was only to make it all fit and to take it out of first person *shudder* I prefer 3rd ... I thought the two together would be a good match so without further ado ... **DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing of Harry Potter, any of its characters, settings, et al. These are owned by J.K. Rowling and other applicable copyright holders.  
  
Ok, lea (spikesbitch) I fixed that paragraph ;) You were right, of course, and had I had the chapter beta read, it would have been caught ... (I was very much asleep at the time ... I think heh)

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CHAPTER ONE

Two Ships That Passed in the Night

She felt a stab of dread pierce her stomach as she entered the Great Hall. Her eyes immediately swept over those at the Gryffindor table. She rolled her eyes at the sight of her in his arms.

_That's not the way it should be._ She thought sadly, unable to take her eyes from the sight. _If they were sneaking around behind my back I think it would be better, then I wouldn't have to see them._

She had been watching the way they touched each other, innocently enough, but far more intimate than just friendly brushes of the arm or shoulder. Since they'd gotten together after Ron's suggestion they'd picked up the annoying habit of constantly finishing each other's sentences and the way they looked at the other and knew every minute detail of what was on the others' mind irritated her to no end.

_That should be me._ She thought as a new wave of depression began to swell in her. Hermione Granger took her normal seat next to Ron and with tremendous effort looked away from the spectacle that had become Harry and Ginny.

"Hey, Hermione." Ron said with a smile. "Why so late?"

Hermione looked up from her plate and gave Ron a soft smile. "I was in the library." She said calmly. "I wanted to read up on that species of magical lizard that we were introduced to in defense class." Recalling the information she'd read, or more to the point gleaned when she wasn't thinking about Harry, brought her some form of relief from her emotional turmoil. "Did you know there are thirty different types? You can tell what kind they are by the number and order of stripes and ... and Snape flashed me from the restricted section. Let me tell you, I was so surprised to know that he wears pink underwear, never mind the fact that they were around his ankles ..."

"Harry!" Ginny jumped from her seat frantically searching for a napkin. "Why on earth did you have to spit pumpkin juice on me?"

Harry grabbed his napkin and quickly began to dab her robes with it. "Sorry, Gin." He said quickly while trying to hide a grin. "I caught the tail end of what Hermione was telling Ron."

"What?" Ron looked at them blankly.

"Honestly, Ron!" Hermione huffed. "I'd noticed you weren't paying attention to me a while ago ... I guess that's not going to change."

"Well you had to go on and on about those bloody lizards." Ron rolled his eyes. "What made you think I really wanted to know anything more about them than what we learned in class?"

Hermione crossed her arms and looked at Ron pointedly. "And can you tell me exactly what we learned about them today?"

Harry had given up trying to dry off his girlfriend and used his wand instead of the now discarded napkin. "I should have thought of this first thing." He said as he pointed the wand at her.

Ginny's eyes went wide. "Harry wait!" It was too late, he'd muttered the charm to dry her robes but something had gone wrong. The pumpkin juice didn't evaporate the way water did and Ginny's robes became extremely stiff. "Now it's going to be impossible to get these things off!" She huffed and stormed out of the Great Hall with a glare at her boyfriend.

Hermione watched the scene with a mixture of sympathy for Harry and satisfaction that the two were no longer hanging on each other. "Harry, you knew that charm was only for water, what possessed you to use it on pumpkin juice?"

Harry blushed. "Well, to tell you the truth, I completely forgot." He admitted with a grin and without warning he settled his hand on hers and let out a laugh. "I was still fighting to get that picture you painted of Snape out of my head."

Hermione grinned despite herself. "I thought it would snap Ron out of his daydream." She giggled softly and looked down at his hand on top of hers.

Harry watched her gaze drift to the table and noticed what she was looking at. He blushed slightly and pulled his hand away with a nervous smile. "Sorry, Hermione."

She looked up at him quickly and felt her stomach flip when she looked into his eyes. She blushed slightly and stood so fast she nearly tripped herself up on the bench. "I-I need to go to the common room. I'll see you two later."

Ron looked up and smiled before he returned to devouring would could only be referred to as half a cow and Harry looked at her quizzically.

"Are you ok, Hermione?" He asked with concern. "You've been quiet since we got on the train and you've been jumpy lately."

"I'm fine, Harry." She lied and ignored the look he gave her. "I'll see you later tonight, I need to go study." Without looking back she left the Great Hall and went to the second least used girl's lavatory. Hermione didn't want to deal with Moaning Myrtle at the moment and she didn't want to risk anybody else showing up and prodding her for information.

She reached the sixth floor and after a few twists and turns found herself sitting in the farthest stall from the door. Tears were streaking down her cheeks uncontrollably.

_Why can't I just control my emotions!_ She thought angrily as she wiped her cheeks dry. She didn't like the fact that her emotions weren't like knowledge, she couldn't open a book and find all the answers and since she realized how deeply she cared for Harry they were all but uncontrollable.

* * *

_Platform 9 3/4_

Hermione had finally gotten to King's Cross Station after an entire summer away from her friends. She was looking forward to seeing Ron but she was nervously anticipating seeing Harry again. She remembered what he'd said about Cho Chang on their way home and over the holiday Hermione had discovered that she really liked him and wanted to see if he'd like to take their relationship further than just the platonic stage they had been in for so long.

She couldn't talk to him over the summer aside from the very few letters they sent back and forth via Hedwig. Her parents wouldn't take no for an answer and she spent the entire summer abroad. They'd gone to Hawaii for a few days before going to a convention in Australia. After the convention they'd traveled to Greece to visit some relatives then hit nearly every country in Europe before finally getting back to England a day before she had to leave for Hogwarts.

Hermione had a lot of time to think on her trip and the lack of contact with Harry nearly drove her mad. She sat awake for hours each night analyzing her feelings then analyzing her conclusions and before she knew it was in full over-analyzation mode. Every discovery she'd made during those nights were interrupted by a vision of Harry's ungodly beautiful green eyes, his dark hair and his voice. She'd known him since she was eleven but after his voice changed she found that she got goose bumps just listening to it.

She realized that she was daydreaming about him again and shook her head to clear the newly formed blush that covered her cheeks. Hermione concentrated and with a determination that she'd become legendary for at school, pushed her trolley through the barrier to the platform that housed the Hogwarts Express.

If she was right there was still another fifteen minutes before the Weasleys and Harry would make their appearance. With a family that size, even when it was only Ron and Ginny who were going to school now, it was understandable how often they were late arriving somewhere.

Hermione smiled at the thought of finally seeing Harry again and hastily stowed her trunk and made her way to the prefect's car. There weren't many people on the train yet and Hannah Abbott, one of the Hufflepuff prefects, was the only one of them to arrive before Hermione.

"Hermione?" Hannah asked with wide eyes.

"It's me." She said with a smile.

"You look completely different!" Hannah stood and walked around Hermione. "You've filled out and gotten taller! Where did you go to get so tan?"

"I spent the holiday abroad with my family." Hermione said simply. "We went to Hawaii, Australia, and then across Europe." She shrugged. "I haven't changed that much."

Hannah looked at her skeptically. "Oh, I wouldn't bet on that." She said with a smile. "If Harry doesn't notice you now, I don't think he goes for women if you know what I mean."

Hermione blushed. "He's not that way, Hannah!" She said with a laugh. _I hope he notices me though ..._ She added silently.

The two girls compared their holidays and laughed at the stories they both shared. Even though she was enjoying the conversation, she felt the time creep by much too slowly for her own tastes. Many times she tried to will it to move faster but it was too stubborn for her and she gave up.

The door opened and in walked a tall, red-haired boy who smiled brightly at the sight of her. "Hermione!" Ron half-shouted excitedly as she came at him for a hug. "We've missed you! The summer wasn't the same without you here!"

"I know! I couldn't get enough owls from you or Harry!" She smiled back at her best friend. "How have you been?"

"Miserable. I had to deal with Ginny and Harry all summer." Ron said with a frown. "I mean, I was hoping he'd take the hints I dropped him, but I didn't think it'd go this far so fast."

Hermione's heart plummeted to her stomach. "W-what?" She asked blankly. _I heard him wrong._ She rationalized. She smiled at him hoping he was playing a joke or that she had indeed heard him wrong.

Ron rolled his eyes. "You know Harry was extremely depressed when Sirius died." Ron started as he put an arm around her shoulders. "We were able to get him to the Burrow after a week."

Hermione nodded. "I know all that both you and Harry told me." She shrugged off his arm subconsciously.

"Well, Harry and Ginny started hanging out and after a few weeks, they were going on walks then it was holding hands." Ron shook his head. "I remember thinking that it was about time he listened to me. I knew they would make a great couple."

_COUPLE?!_ Hermione felt a cold sweat start covering her forehead and her palms began to feel slick. _It-it can't be!_

Ron looked at her obliviously. "Well, by the end of the summer, I couldn't pull them apart, even to get Harry to play a pick-up game or two. Ginny always had to play too, or Harry would shrug it off and they'd head off on another walk." He shook his head. "I didn't think they'd bond so quickly that they'd finish each other's sentences, but they did."

"You've got to be kidding." Hermione said in a neutral voice. "Harry and Ginny?" She rubbed her hands angrily on her skirt. _I don't believe it! I have to see this for myself._ She fought back the tears that were threatening to spill forth and left the compartment.

"Hermione, the train's getting ready to leave! We need to ..." She didn't hear the rest of what Ron said as the door closed behind her. With a determined stride she hurried to their normal car at the end of the train.

_Don't let it be true, please, don't let it be true!_ She thought over and over as she clenched and unclenched her sweaty hands in frustration.

She got to the car to find the door open and Harry sitting alone by the window. _Alone!_ She smiled when she saw him, momentarily forgetting why she was here in the first place. He hadn't noticed anyone was there yet and she quickly looked him over.

He'd grown since she'd last seen him. He was a good two meters tall now, judging by the space he'd taken up. His hair was cut shorter than what she remembered and it was still unruly. The biggest change was in his body. His shoulders were broad and he'd taken on some muscle as well. He was slim and attractive unlike the thin boy she remembered meeting on her first ride to Hogwarts. She was snapped from her reverie by a glittering white smile.

"Hermione!" He exclaimed happily and rushed over to hug her. She gratefully let him pull her into his arms and she reciprocated the embrace with a tight hug of her own. "I've missed you!"

_He missed me!_ She could feel her heart melt at the words, her fears of Ginny washed away by the mere contact with him.

"I missed you too, Harry." She said with a smile as she looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you more ..." Her voice trailed off as he looked over her shoulder then back to her.

"It's ok, Hermione." He flashed a quick smile to her. "I think Ron's here to drag you off to the prefect's car."

She looked behind her to see Ron frowning at her. "We need to get to the meeting, Hermione." He said pointedly. "We can't start it without you and Harry and I have a standing appointment for a game of wizard's chess."

She looked back to Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry, I have to go."

Harry smiled. "I understand. Listen, I need to talk to you when you get a chance, ok?"

She returned his smile and nodded. "I'll see you in a little bit then?"

Harry nodded and did something she wasn't expecting. He bent to her and kissed her cheek. "It's really great to see you again, Hermione. Now go get that meeting over with, we've got a lot to catch up on!"

She looked at him dumbstruck. Her heart was racing faster than she'd ever felt it had before and her face had taken on a distinctly warm feeling. "S-sure, Harry. I-I'll see you in a little bit." She stammered. Hermione took a shaky step back and jumped when her foot hit the ground.

"Hey! That's my foot!" Ron bellowed as he jumped back and pulled his foot up to massage it. "Could you watch where you're going?"

Hermione looked at him and cursed herself for feeling so flustered. "Sorry, Ron." She said apologetically. "I-I thought you'd already headed back."

He scowled at her. "Obviously I didn't." He sneered. "Come on, the more time we waste here, the less time we'll have to avoid the worst of the duties." He looked at Harry. "I'll see you later, mate. Keep the board warm for me."

Harry smiled at him and nodded. "Sure thing. But I have to warn you, if Hermione gets back here first, I'm going to be a little preoccupied." He winked playfully at her and to her chagrin she blushed even harder than before.

"Harry!" She scolded him playfully.

Harry laughed. "Go on, I'll see you in a bit." He turned back to the car and took his seat. She watched him for a moment, admiring the bright smile he had on his face and how he seemed to be radiating happiness.

"Hermione, are you coming?" Ron asked impatiently further down the hall. She'd been concentrating on Harry so single-mindedly that she'd completely forgotten that Ron was even there.

She blushed again. "I'm coming!" She said happily and followed her friend quickly.

"Hermione!" A girl's voice said as she walked past an open door. She looked into the room and found Ginny Weasley smiling happily at her. Without much time to think or say anything, the youngest Weasley pulled her into a tight hug. "I was wondering when I'd see you!" She said happily. "Oh, I really need to talk to you when you get a chance!" Ginny had a gleam in her eyes and Hermione suddenly remembered every word that Ron had said.

She hugged Ginny back quickly while her heart took a plummeting dive and landed somewhere between her stomach and her ankles. "I'd like to talk, Gin, but I have to get to the prefect's meeting right now." She said quickly and pulled back. With an apologetic smile she hurried down the hall to where the rest of the prefects were waiting. She absently wiped the tears that had started to well in her eyes as she tried to bring up the courage to be around other people.

"It's about time the _legendary_ Hermione Granger made her appearance." Malfoy drawled from the center of the room. "Any chance we can start this meeting now?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and fought the urge to use his face as a punching bag again. "Sod off, Malfoy." She bit back a little too forcefully. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

"Oh, I'm so, so sorry." He sneered back at her. "Well, since everyone else has decided to show up on time, I nominate Granger for the lavatory patrol."

Hermione looked at the Slytherin incredulously. "What?" She asked angrily.

"You know how we've been running these meetings." He said with a grin. "The last one to the meeting gets lavatory duty. Ask your friend over there, he got stuck with it last time. I'm surprised that you weren't the first one here."

"She was here before you were, Malfoy." Ron spat. "Listen, I'll take the lavatory patrol, I don't mind."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, go where you're most comfortable."

Ron controlled his anger admirably, Hermione thought, all he did was scowl and leave the car for his duties.

"Well I guess we'll just have to draw times to see who goes on patrol when." Draco sighed dramatically and pulled a box from the luggage rack above their heads. He looked inside and then shuffled the small wooden tokens noisily before passing the box around the room.

Hermione sighed in relief when her turn arrived and found that she wouldn't be patrolling until later that night but before they reached Hogsmeade station.

"Here are the memos for this year." Hannah said happily as she passed the notices around. "Professor McGonagall didn't mention any new items on Filch's list ..."

Hermione had tuned the rest of the meeting out, counting down the minutes until she could leave the room and talk with Harry. She bit her lip and kept glancing at her watch.

"That's all there is until we get to the school." Padma Patil finished. Hermione smiled and excused herself from the car and quickly made her way back to where Harry was waiting for her.

She approached their compartment and heard what could only be Ginny's giggles. Her eyes went wide and she slowly crept to the door and listened quietly to their conversation.

"Harry!" Ginny squealed. "You better not do that in public, I'm sure if Ron ever found out he'd try to rip your head off!"

Harry laughed in response. "Come on, Gin!" He said cheekily. "You didn't object when we were out on our last walk." He added playfully to her giggles.

"We didn't run the risk of someone barging into a small, confined passenger car then!" She laughed in an equally playful tone. Hermione's hand shot to her mouth when she heard a soft moan come from Ginny. She turned to leave, not wanting to hear anymore but ended up barreling straight into Goyle's chest.

"Watch where yer goin." Goyle barked stupidly.

"What's wrong, mudblood? Why aren't you spending your time with Saint Potter?!" Malfoy sneered at her before stepping around her and opened the door to the compartment. "Oh! Is this what I think it is?" Malfoy let out a laugh. "I can't believe that Potter's dipped into the Weasley barrel!"

Hermione spun on Draco and shoved him against the wall. "You _don't_ barge in on people like that, Malfoy!" She seethed angrily. If it were possible, he paled more than his complexion would have normally allowed but he quickly regained his composure and shook her off.

"Oh, but it's perfectly fine to listen in on a private conversation?" He sneered back triumphantly. He looked at her shocked face and laughed before signaling the human walls that followed him everywhere that it was time to go. "Have fun, mudblood." He whispered quietly as he passed her and let out another laugh.


	2. I Hate Love

CHAPTER TWO

I Hate Love

Hermione glanced quickly into the compartment and saw Ginny sitting next to Harry with a surprised expression on her face. Harry was already getting to his feet and walking towards her quickly.

"Hermione, did he do anything to you?!" He punctuated the question with a scowl at the look on her face. "What did he do?" Harry turned towards the retreating Malfoy and went for his wand.

"Harry, stop!" She managed to get out. "I-It was nothing, really. Are you two ok? That was rude of him to just barge in like that."

Harry sneered at the door down the hall where Draco had just been. "Yeah, we're ok." He sighed and looked quickly back into the room. Harry and Ginny shared a look and he quickly relaxed. "The git does that every time we're on the Express, remember? Was someone actually eavesdropping at the door?" He finished with a smile that quickly turned to a look of concern. "Hermione?"

She snapped to and forced a smile. "He does, doesn't he?" She admitted with an aloof attitude and shrugged.

"Are you sure you're ok?" He pressed and took her arm.

Despite herself she felt heat creep up her cheeks again. "Y-yes, I'm fine, Harry." She forced another smile in the hopes that he'd drop the matter.

"If you say so." He said slowly. "Listen, would it be ok to talk now?"

Hermione stiffened at the thought of talking to him alone. _What is he going to do? Tell me how good a kisser Ginny is?_ She bristled and felt her stomach turn over nauseously at the mere thought of them together.

"Well, I ..." She started but was cut off.

"Great!" He said with a smile that made her melt and her heart skip a beat. "Gin, do you mind if my best friend and I have a bit of alone time to catch up?"

Ginny smiled nervously and looked between the two of them. "S-sure." She said after a moment. "I need to find Luna anyway."

Harry beamed at her and pulled her into a brief hug before ushering Hermione into the small compartment. "Thanks, Gin." He said with a wink as he walked her into the hall. After a few moments he was sitting across from Hermione with the closed door cutting them off from the rest of the train.

"How was your summer, Hermione?" He asked innocently.

She looked up from the floor and found that he was watching her expectantly like he always did when they had talked before. She blushed slightly when he tilted his head to the side.

"Hermione? Was your summer ok?" He asked again.

She nodded slowly and smiled. "It was ok." She admitted. "I missed you and Ron so much! This is the first summer that we haven't spent at least some time together."

"I know what you mean." He replied quietly. Harry looked out the window and his face changed to that of one who was deep in thought. "I wanted to talk to you about so much but I couldn't write it in a letter, there was too much of a chance that it would've been intercepted."

Hermione fought the instinct to hug him, to comfort him, but settled with a quiet sigh. "I know. I wanted to be there for you, but Mum and Dad wouldn't take no for an answer."

Harry nodded quietly then crossed to her side of the car and sat next to her. Hermione's heart fluttered despite the situation that she found herself in. _He needs me. I can't just leave him alone, can I?_ She straightened when he put his hand on her knee and looked at her. His eyes were filled with a profound sadness that made her heart reach out to him. She felt her arms moving of their own accord on a direct path to pull him into a hug but she stopped herself. "I'm sorry, Harry." She said instead and gingerly set her hand on his.

"I miss him, Hermione, I really do." He started telling her how much it hurt to have Sirius taken from him. More than once he wiped away a tear that ran down her cheek before he wiped away his own. All she would allow herself to do was nod and pat his hand gently when she felt he needed it.

"I was surprised how well Ginny listened." He said suddenly. Hermione glanced at him quickly but he was looking at the door of the compartment. When he turned back she looked to the floor. "I don't know what it is, Hermione, but for some reason we connected. I mean _really_ connected with one another."

Hermione felt her heart begin to shatter with his confession and her eyes started to sting. She couldn't believe that he was actually telling her this.

"It's not on the same level that you and I were at, though. I mean, she and I can finish each other's sentences, I'm not sure how we got to that level, but I can't read her like I can you." He said quietly. "It's like there's something missing and I can't quite put my finger on it."

Her heart began beating rapidly again. _It's because you don't love her, you love ME!_ She screamed to herself. "I-I don't know either, Harry." She found herself saying. _What? Of course I know!_ She berated herself. She jumped when she felt his hand cup her cheek and he turned her face to his.

"Are you ok? You're covered in sweat and your face is burning up." Harry asked with a concerned look.

With her heart still hammering away in her chest from the unexpected contact all she could do was stammer. "Y-yes, I-I'm perfectly fine, Harry." She felt her face get even warmer and she stood quickly, regretting the break in contact. "I do feel a bit warm, I-I'm going to go get some water, I'll be right back." She left the compartment in as casual a manner as she could muster and turned back quickly. "Do you want anything?" She asked quietly.

Harry shook his head, the look of concern still on his face. "No, that's alright. I'll just wait for the snack cart to come by."

Hermione nodded absently and closed the door. She took a step and steadied herself against the wall as she wiped away the cold sweat that had formed on her forehead. She stepped forward with a sigh and bumped into a startled Ginny.

"Hermione, are you ok?" She asked as she put a hand on her shoulder. "You look a little tired."

"I'm _fine_!" Hermione snapped unintentionally and regained her composure immediately. "I-I'm sorry, Ginny, I just feel a little warm and need a drink of water, I didn't mean to snap at you."

Ginny gave her a quick hug. "It's alright." She said comfortingly. "Did you and Harry have a good talk?"

Hermione nodded absently. _If you could call that good ..._ She thought bitterly. "He's gone through a lot and I'm glad he talked to me about Sirius." She admitted.

"Can we talk after you get your drink?" Ginny asked with the gleam from earlier back in her eyes. "I haven't been able to talk with anyone my age all summer!" Ginny had a hint of excitement in her voice that unnerved Hermione.

"I-I guess." Hermione said forcing another smile. "I'll be back in a little bit."

Ginny smiled and pulled her into another hug before she headed back to the car Harry was in. Hermione felt her stomach knot up and she made her way to the galley as quickly as she could. She really needed that water.

She was thankfully able to get to her destination without another distraction and had soon downed a glass of cold water that seemed to help immensely. _What am I going to do? They can't have fallen for each other so quickly, could they?_ Hermione was so lost in thought that she didn't notice someone else had entered the room. She looked up with surprise when he cleared his throat.

"Hermione, what are you doing here? I thought that you were talking to Harry." Ron asked quietly. "Did they get on your nerves too?"

Hermione looked at him blankly for a moment before she realized that he was even talking to her. "Oh, what was that?"

"I asked why you weren't still talking with Harry." Ron said with frustration evident in his voice. "What is wrong with you?"

Hermione looked to the floor and sighed. _Oh, I don't know, I'm in love with my best friend who is oblivious to that fact?_ She sighed again and shook her head. "I got a bit too warm and came for some water, Ron." She said calmly.

"You needed four hours to drink water?" Ron asked incredulously.

"What? Four hours?" Hermione blinked at him. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"

Ron nodded. "Listen, I covered your patrol shift when you didn't show up so don't worry about missing it." Ron sighed and put an arm around her shoulders. "Why don't we go back to the others and we'll hang around until we get to Hogsmeade."

Hermione blanched at the thought of being in the same room as the two of them. "I need to talk to Hannah about some of the items in the memo and there was something I need to talk to Padma about dealing with this year's head girl." She pulled out from under his arm and went to the door. "I'll be along in a few, ok?" Without waiting for an answer, Hermione made her way to the front of the train with the hope that Ron wouldn't press the issue.

She arrived in the empty prefect's compartment and sighed in relief. Everyone's trunks were stored elsewhere and there wasn't a real reason for anyone to come back. She sat down and tried to process everything that she was experiencing. _Ginny must have been a real good listener for her to be finishing Harry's sentences this quickly._ She pulled gently at her lower lip and let out a long sigh. There was a knock on the door that made her jump involuntarily.

"Hermione? Are you in there?" Ginny asked quietly from the other side of the door. "Are you ok?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and fought back the urge to punch something. _No I'm not fine!_ She sighed and opened the door. "Come on in, Gin, I was just waiting for Hanna and Padma."

Ginny walked in slowly and sat quietly across from Hermione. "Would now be an ok time to talk?" She asked tentatively. Hermione could see that she was chomping at the bit to talk about something.

_I bet that something is Harry._ She sighed in defeat. "Sure, Gin, what's on your mind?"

"Well," She scooted a little closer to her friend so she was on the edge of her seat. "I don't know how to actually put this ..."

"You're dating Harry?" Hermione said dryly but forced a smile at the end.

"Oh, I knew you'd find out about us." Ginny admitted. "But that's not what I what I have a problem with."

"Oh?" Hermione's interest peaked. _If it's not about them dating then what?_

Ginny nodded. "You know Harry better than anyone, Hermione."

"Oh I wouldn't bet on that." She sighed under her breath.

Ginny looked at her curiously. "What?"

"You could say that." Hermione said louder with a soft smile on her lips. "Is there something wrong with the two of you?"

Ginny shook her head then changed her mind and nodded slowly. "He told you that we talked a lot over summer holiday? Well, that went a long way to encourage us finally getting together, but ... I don't know how to say it ... I don't feel like he's being fully honest with me."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? He's not one to lie offhandedly or anything. If he's not telling you something, it's usually his way of protecting you ... It really irritates me when he does that." Hermione scowled.

Ginny giggled softly. "He does do that, doesn't he? Well, there's nothing wrong with the physical side, I mean we haven't had sex yet, but the rest of it is good." She sighed.

Hermione fought rolling her eyes and instead looked out the window. "Is–" She changed her mind about that question. _I don't want to find out second hand how he is ..._ "What's the problem then? I mean, you two just got together. That's not a long time, in the scheme of things that is."

"Well, I know I love him, Hermione." Ginny admitted with a pink tinge crawling up her cheeks. Hermione flinched but recomposed herself quickly. "I've told him I do, but he hasn't said it back. He just smiles at me when I say it, it's maddening."

Hermione sighed in relief. _Well, he hasn't gone that far yet._ "How long ago did you tell him, the first time I mean?"

"About a week ago." Ginny sighed. "Is it me? Do you think he doesn't love me?" She looked into her friends eyes pleadingly. "I've had a crush on him for so long and when I finally get him, I can't tell if he's treating me as a long-term fling or as something more serious."

Hermione cursed herself. _This is so stupid of me!_ "Well, Harry has gone through quite a lot of hardship, Ginny, there's a good chance that he doesn't know what love feels like. I'm afraid that you'll have to wait for him." _I'm really beginning to hate that word ..._

Ginny nodded quietly. "Thanks, Hermione." A sly smile crossed her lips. "So, is there _anyone_ that you're interested in?"

Hermione blanched at the question. _Where did that come from?_

"Come on, Hermione, there's got to be someone. I know you're not all books and studying, I've heard you talk in your sleep." Ginny pressed with a smile.

"I don't talk in my sleep." Hermione said flatly.

"Yes you do, I seem to remember you saying something about the kitchen not being an appropriate place?" Ginny giggled at the look on Hermione's face.

"I actually said that?" Hermione blanched. _That was the first time I dreamed of Harry ..._ She looked at her hands in embarrassment.

"You did. I've been dying to ask you since I overheard you say that. We were in the common room one night and you fell asleep on the sofa." Ginny leaned in. "Is it someone I know?"

Hermione felt her heart start to race and stories started running through her mind at a breakneck pace. _No, she wouldn't believe Colin ..._

"Is it someone in your year? In Gryffindor?" Ginny pressed and Hermione blushed profusely. Ginny let out a laugh. "I knew it!"

Hermione gaped at Ginny in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I know who you're talking about, Hermione." Ginny said more seriously. "I think I've known for a few years now."

Hermione stammered. "I-I'm sorry, Ginny, I know that he's your b–"

"My brother, yes. You don't have to apologize, Hermione, I think you'd make a good couple! Don't tell him I told you this ..." Ginny looked around conspiratorially. "He could do nothing but talk about you all summer."

Hermione's eyes went wide. _What? RON?!_ She looked to the ground again. "But ..."

"It's fine with me, and I'm sure that Harry will be too." Ginny said offhandedly. "The one you'll have to watch out for is Luna she's got it pretty bad for him."

Hermione was so shocked she just sat there wide-eyed. _How did it turn around so that I was getting advice from Ginny?_

"Oh, we're slowing down, I'll see you back at our car, ok?" Ginny shot to her feet and left the room leaving behind one very stunned Hermione.

__

_

Gryffindor Common Room: Present

_

Hermione peeked in from the portrait hole. _Good, nobody's there!_ She started for the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"Hermione?"

_Why? Why can't I just get through here without running into someone ... Especially him._ "Hi, Harry." She said with a sigh. Ginny wasn't anywhere to be found, to her relief.

He motioned for her to have a seat next to him. She looked down nervously then reluctantly sat on the sofa as far from him as she could without making it blatantly obvious she didn't want to be too close. She couldn't handle that closeness right now.

"Hermione, why have you been avoiding me?" He asked quietly. "It wasn't because of my depression over Sirius was it?"

She looked into his glittering emerald eyes and couldn't help herself. Without a word, Hermione wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a comforting embrace. "No, Harry, don't think like that. I'm glad that you told me what was on your mind." She whispered to him. "I-I'm here for you to talk to when you need it, I hope you know that."

Harry returned her hug with a tight one of his own. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I just ... I don't think I could make it without you with me ... I need you in my life."

Hermione stiffened at the words. _Give me a clear signal here, Harry!_ She seethed as she pulled out of the hug. "What? You need me? What about Ginny?"

Harry looked at her in confusion. "You know I need you in my life, you're my best friend. Ginny's my girlfriend, but ..."

Hermione flinched involuntarily at his reference to Ginny. "But what, Harry?"

Harry looked at the floor and sighed deeply. "There's more that I wanted to talk to you about, Sirius wasn't the only thing that happened last year."

Hermione calmed herself. "Ok, I'm listening."

Harry looked at her and after a moment began to tell her about the prophecy that Professor Trelawney had given. "So you see, if I'm to beat Voldemort ..."

"You have to murder him ..." Hermione finished. "Or he'll murder ..."

"Me." Harry nodded quietly. "I needed time to process this and I wanted to tell you about it first." He looked back to her and wiped away a tear that had started its way down her cheek. "I know I can trust you to keep it a secret until I tell Ron and after that, I don't want anybody else to know."

"Aren't you going to tell Ginny?" She asked quietly, wondering why he hadn't taken his hand from her face. She pushed her cheek into his palm and closed her eyes with a content sigh.

"I don't want her to know." Harry said adamantly. "I only wanted to tell my two best friends. I love you, Hermione, and I want you to know what's been on my mind since Sirius died."

_He loves me?_ She snapped her head up and looked him in the eyes. "You love me?" She asked incredulously.

Harry nodded. "You're my best friend, how could I not?" He added with a smile that disappeared as quickly as it had shown itself. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

"_Nothing!_" She spat at him. "I'm glad you told me what was on your mind, but I need to get some sleep, and so should you, we've got a big test tomorrow." She stood suddenly and walked with a determined stride from the room.

"Hermione, wait!" Harry called after her but she didn't stop.

_I HATE LOVE!_ She screamed in her mind as the tears started to fall.


	3. Mixed Signals

CHAPTER THREE

Mixed Signals

For the first time this year, Hermione felt blessed. When she got to her room, all her roommates were fast asleep. Even Lavender was out cold which was quite the shock because she would be up writing in her diary until Hermione got back for the night.

As quietly as she could, she grabbed her sleeping clothes and went to the lavatory to change and get ready for bed. Her mind was still reeling with his words: "_I love you._"

"How in the bloody hell can he tell me that and not tell his _girlfriend_?" She cursed under her breath. She felt her eyes stinging again and slapped her hand down on the edge of the sink. _CUT IT OUT! IT'S OBVIOUS HE'S NOT INTERESTED! GET OVER IT!_ Hermione screamed in her head. But no matter how many times she thought those words, his piercing green eyes washed them away. "_I Love You._"

"Damn him!" She growled angrily and she squeezed the toothpaste tube a bit too hard. She brought her toothbrush to her mouth and gagged involuntarily. Hermione looked at the amount of toothpaste that had covered the bristles, the handle, and quite a bit of the sink and she closed her eyes.

"Get a grip, Granger." She whispered. "He doesn't want to go beyond a platonic relationship. You were fine with this before, you can be again." She cleared away the excess toothpaste and went back to her nightly routine. _I can deal with a platonic relationship, I can._ She felt her courage building.

_Of course he loves you, you idiot, you've been friends for five years._ Another voice piped in.

_I _know_. I know._ She answered back.

Without another sound, she pulled her bushy hair into a ponytail and washed her face, using liberal amounts of cold water. She collected her things and crawled quietly into bed.

_I'll apologize tomorrow._ She promised herself.

_But you have nothing to apologize for._ The other voice told her.

She sighed inwardly. "I need to. I need to get past this. I don't want to lose him as a friend even if that's all ..." She choked back a sob. "Even if that's all I am to him." She finished quietly. Her eyelids felt heavier than they had ever been in her life and the emotional and physical stress finally wore her down.

_"Harry? Harry, where are you?" Hermione called desperately down the abandoned street. "Harry, please answer me!"_

_There was an explosion a block away and she saw a cloud of smoke rise into the air followed by a high-pitched, cruel laugh._

_"NO!" She screamed as she ran to the disturbance. "HARRY!"_

_She pulled open the gate to the derelict house's garden and ran into the overgrown jungle it had become. There was movement to her right and she spun around with a raised wand._

_"STUPE-" She bellowed._

_"HERMIONE! IT'S ME!" Harry stumbled forward and fell to his knees in front of her._

_"HARRY!" She kneeled and pulled him into a hug. "Are you hurt? Where's Volde-"_

_"Run! You shouldn't be here, Hermione!" He gasped and pushed her back. "Get away before it's too late!"_

_"I'm not going to leave you, Harry!" She screamed back at him. "I don't want to lose you!"_

_"Hermione, you don't understand! You'll die! I don't want to lose you either! RUN!" Harry pushed her away with as much force as he could and she fell backwards. "RUN! NOW!" He turned over onto his back and raised his wand._

_"Time to die, Potter! And don't worry, Hermione will go with you!" A high pitched voice came from a small copse of trees._

_"GO HERMIONE! NOW!" Harry screamed. He looked at her passionately. "Don't make me banish you, love ..." He whispered to her. She could see the passion in his eyes, the glittering intensity of his gaze and she knew that he loved her beyond anything she could fathom._

_"I love you." She cried and went for him but she seemed to slow down dramatically, as if she were submerged in molasses. Every second felt like a year and she watched in horror as a tall figure in black robes broke through the underbrush with a raised wand. A green glow could be seen at its tip._

_"Goodbye, Potter! _AVADA KEDAVRA_!" The figure shouted as Hermione began to scream. There was a gust of wind and the hood was blown back revealing a maniacally laughing Ginny Weasley. Harry slumped over dead at her feet and she stalked menacingly towards Hermione. "You're next, mudblood!" She screeched. "I knew you wanted Harry and he almost went to you! I wasn't about to let someone else have him if I couldn't!"_

_"GINNY?!" Hermione's eyes went wide. "But, you loved him! Why? WHY?!" She didn't know if her tears were of anger or of grief or both but either way they were spilling down her cheeks as she shuffled away from the one who murdered her love._

_"Ginny?" The girl let out another high-pitched, cruel laugh that distorted her face into someone unrecognizable. "She died a long time ago. And you thought your _precious _Harry had destroyed me in the chamber! That's bad comedy!"_

_Hermione looked at who she had thought was her friend and her confusion vanished. "Riddle?" She asked quietly._

_"Got it in one! You are a clever witch, aren't you?" Ginny smiled at her maniacally. "I bet you know what my plans are by now as well, so without further ado ... AVADA KEDA-"_

Hermione snapped awake at the insistent shaking of Lavender Brown.

"Hermione! Wake up!" She looked frightened. "Are you ok? You were screaming for Harry."

She looked around wildly in a state of panic. She was cold and felt very nauseous. Her stomach felt like there was a mass of worms wriggling around inside of her and she felt bile start to rise in her throat. Hermione quickly got out of bed and ran to the bathroom stopping in front of the toilet just in time.

She groaned quietly and laid on the cool stone the floor was composed of.

"Hermione?" Parvati asked quietly. She knelt next to her roommate and rubbed her back comfortingly. "Are you ok? Do you want us to take you to the hospital wing?"

She looked at her roommate and smiled appreciatively. "I-I'm fine" She croaked. She sniffed back a new wave of tears as she remembered the dream and immediately regretted it. She heaved whatever was left in her stomach into the toilet until all she could do was gasp and sputter. Tears were quickly sliding down her cheeks and her eyes were sore from the exertion of vomiting.

"That's a load of codswallop, Hermione." Parvati said sternly. "Oi, Lavender, get Hermione's robes and slippers, we're taking her to Madam Pomfrey!"

Hermione tried to say she was alright but she couldn't find her voice and decided to not fight with her roommates. _They just care about me._ She thought quietly. The dream was becoming fuzzy and all she could remember was Ginny's distorted face and Harry's body dead at her feet. _It was just a dream ..._ She rationalized. _Just a dream ..._

Parvati helped her to her feet and Lavender helped her into her bathrobe. The three of them made their way through the deserted halls and soon entered the gleaming white walls of Madam Pomfrey's domain. Lavender went to her office while Parvati settled Hermione into a bed.

"What's wrong?" The concerned school nurse asked quietly as she made her way to Hermione's side.

"She had a nightmare and after we woke her up, she threw up in the toilet." Lavender replied quietly. She had Hermione's hand in hers and was patting it comfortingly.

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry to say this but you're burning up. How long have you been feeling like this?" The nurse asked her while she checked her temperature, eyes, and various other appendages.

Hermione tried to talk but it came out as a strained squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again but to no avail.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Laryngitis." She said simply. She pulled out her wand and waved it over Hermione four times. Shortly afterwards, a mirror image of her floated quietly above her, mimicking her movements. "Alright, let's see what we can find out." With her wand, the nurse began poking and prodding the floating Hermione and a few places radiated red. Madam Pomfrey made a clicking sound with her tongue and continued the examination.

"Is she going to be alright?" Parvati asked worriedly. Lavender squeezed Hermione's hand gently.

"Miss Granger, did you spend any time in the Mediterranean this summer?"

Hermione nodded.

"Near Greece?"

Hermione nodded again.

"Well, you've gotten yourself a nasty bacterial infection. I assume you drank some of the local water there?" The nurse asked quietly.

Hermione nodded slowly and tried to ask a question but her voice didn't come to her again.

"I thought so. There's a problem with the water in Crete right now and it looks like you drank some before it was purified again." Madam Pomfrey said quietly but smiled softly. "Luckily, the infection hasn't gone very far and I have a few potions that will clear this up, but you'll have to stay here a few days."

Hermione's eyes went wide. Lavender looked at her and sighed. "We have a big test in Advanced Charms tomorrow." She interpreted for her friend. "She doesn't want to miss it."

"I'm sure Professor Flitwick will be more than happy to administer it to her at a later date." Poppy said with a smile. She went to her medicine cabinet after dismissing the diagnostic version of Hermione and returned with a glass and two large bottles. "Now, this is going to taste bad, Miss Granger." She warned as she filled a glass. "But you need to drink one glass every four hours. Once we've finished this potion, we'll go to the second, which is every six hours afterwards."

Hermione grimaced when she drank the glass of slimy liquid and gagged for air afterwards. _THAT IS VILE!_ She thought with a shudder. Madam Pomfrey handed her a glass of water with a smile.

"This should wash the slimy film away." She looked at Lavender and Parvati with a smile. "If you two will come with me, I'll give you notes for her Professors."

"Goodnight, Hermione." Lavender said with a sympathetic look. "I hope you feel better tomorrow."

"Yeah, Hermione, get better." Parvati said with a pat on her shoulder.

Hermione yawned sleepily and smiled at her two friends. She tried to thank them but her voice was still absent so she nodded and waved to them. The potion must have had a sleep element added because she could barely keep her eyes open. She watched her roommates leave with the nurse and dread began to grow in her stomach.

"Will you let Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley know that she'll be here for a few days?" Madam Pomfrey asked her roommates.

_NO! Don't ... tell ..._ _Har ... ry ... _She fell asleep without her friends knowing she didn't want to see the young man she loved.

Hermione heard someone talking from a far way off. She couldn't quite understand what was being said but the voice was familiar. Her eyes fluttered open to the blinding light of morning and as her vision cleared she saw Ron smiling at her from the side of the bed.

"Where's Harry?" She asked sleepily before she realized what she'd said. _My voice is back!_

"He's on his way." Ron replied absently. "He stopped by the library to pick up a book or two for you. How are you feeling?"

Hermione sighed. "I'm ok. Just a bit tired and ill."

Ron nodded quietly. "I guess that's why you were avoiding everyone then?" He asked as he looked into her eyes hopefully.

Hermione smiled softly but didn't say anything.

"Is there something else wrong?" He asked nervously.

"No, Ron." She lied. "Why are you so nervous?"

Ron's face went red and he cleared his throat. "W-well ... I was wondering, it being your birthday tomorrow and the first Hogsmeade trip is on Saturday ... I was ... well ... I was wondering if you'd want to go. To Hogsmeade ... with ... er ... with me." He looked to the floor with an embarrassed look and fidgeted in his chair.

_Oh, no, not now Ron ..._ She cleared her throat. "We always go to Hogsmeade, Ron."

He looked at her with a sad look, smiled quickly to cover it up, and then looked seriously at her. "I mean together. Without Harry."

Hermione sighed inwardly at the mention of _his_ name. "Can we talk about this when I feel better, Ron?" She looked at him pleadingly. "Madam Pomfrey says it'll only be a few days."

Ron stiffened a little but smiled. "Sure, Hermione." He said a little too quickly. "I'm going to go get some lunch before class. I'll come by later, ok?"

Hermione nodded. "Ok, Ron, I'll see you then." Without so much as a goodbye, Ron left the hospital wing with his head bowed and shoulders hunched.

_Why this? Why now?_ Hermione buried her face in her hands and sighed loudly.

"Hey, are you feeling better?"

Her heart stopped and she looked up to see Harry's concerned face. _Harry ..._ "Um ... hi." She said absently.

"Hi." He sat in the chair that Ron had been in previously then set some books on her bedside table. "Are you feeling better?" He reiterated.

Hermione pulled her eyes away from him and looked at her hands which were folded in her lap and cleared her throat. "Yeah, a little." She admitted. "J-just a little tired and nauseous is all ..."

Harry took her hand in his and her heart stopped again. He cupped her chin with his free hand and brought her surprised gaze in line with his own. She could feel her hands start to shake and a cold sweat bead on her brow.

"Hermione, about the other night ..." He started quietly.

_NO!_ She screamed to herself and with a tremendous force of will pulled her hand from his and shrugged his hand from her chin. "Harry, don't." She said evenly.

He looked at her in surprise. "Hermione, why are you acting this way? You're my best friend, you've always been ..."

"That's right, Harry, I am your friend and I-I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with your closeness." _WHAT AM I SAYING?! TAKE MY HAND AGAIN! TAKE HIS HAND!_ She sat still willing him to read her mind. He looked at his hands and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't think ..." It seemed as if a great weight was settling on his bowed shoulders. "Ginny told me." He said softly.

"What did she tell you, Harry?" Hermione's heart had taken off at a breakneck speed. _Don't let it be what I think it is!_ She cried desperately to herself.

"S-She told me that you like Ron." He admitted with a sigh.

_I DON'T! I LOVE YOU! _YOU, HARRY_!_ Her hand went to her mouth involuntarily and he flinched when he caught sight of the motion.

"It's ok if you didn't want me to know." He said with a pained look on his face. "It just caught me off guard. With the way you two fight with each other I didn't really think you felt that way about him."

She was speechless and could only shake her head slowly. "Harry ..."

He looked at her and smiled one of his fake smiles. "I guess that opposites really do attract, huh?" He cleared his throat and stood slowly. "If Ron makes you happy, Hermione, then I'm happy."

"Harry ... Harry, wait." She said quietly but he just smiled his fake smile again and took her hand reassuringly.

"I've got to get to class I'll see you later, ok?" He said a little too happily and left before she could say another word.

_Oh, Harry ..._ She went to bury her face in her hands again but stopped. "He ... He took my hand?" She whispered and looked up quickly to the hospital wing's entrance with wide eyes.

Despite their words, neither one of her best friends returned after classes. Hermione was becoming more depressed by the minute and had long abandoned reading her textbooks. Even the solace of studying couldn't keep her mind off the reaction that Harry had with the news that she supposedly liked Ron. Ron was probably fuming because she didn't say yes right away and was avoiding her entirely.

_Why can't I just tell him how I feel?_ She sighed to herself through a new batch of tears.

_Why do you keep thinking about it? Your grades are going to suffer if you don't get back to studying._ That irritating voice in her head replied.

_I wasn't talking to you!_

_Too bad, I'm not going anywhere and if you don't quit overanalyzing this, you'll go insane._

Hermione sighed and rolled over at the insistence of the nurse.

"Time for your next dose." She said with a motherly tone and handed her a glass of pink liquid. "It won't be long now. Don't worry, you'll be able to spend more time with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley tomorrow."

Hermione drank the potion quickly and handed the glass back with a groan. She took the offered glass of water and quickly downed that as well. "Thank you." She said quietly and rolled back to her side.

She felt Madam Pomfrey's hand land comfortingly on her arm. "Don't worry, he'll come around eventually." She whispered to Hermione's surprise. She looked up at the nurse but Madam Pomfrey had already left for her office.

Hermione sighed quietly. "It's probably as likely as me marrying Malfoy." She groaned.

"I don't think that'll happen anytime soon, mudblood." Malfoy sneered from the other side of the curtain.

"Sod off, Malfoy!" Hermione growled angrily. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"If you can listen in on conversations, I can listen in on people talking to themselves. Why I'm here is none of _your_ concern." He retorted. "Anyway, I'm surprised that you and Saint Potter haven't hooked up yet." He laughed after a moment. "Wait, the clueless duo of your group don't know that you like him ... Just think what would happen if this bit of news somehow landed in their hands ..."

Hermione blanched. "Malfoy, if you speak one word of this you'll regret that you were ever born!" She spat angrily.

"Hey! Get off of me!" Malfoy yelled angrily.

"What have you been saying to her, Malfoy!" Harry's angry voice came from Malfoy's side of the curtain.

"I was just telling her ..." Hermione could almost hear his sneer. "That I wouldn't ever marry the likes of a filthy mudbl-" Malfoy was cut off by a sickening thud. "Agh! You brode my dose!"

"What's the meaning of this, Mr. Potter?!" Madam Pomfrey shouted as she walked over to them. "Mr. Malfoy, let me see that. Oh, tut tut, It's broken. Don't worry we'll have that fixed up in a moment. Come with me. You, Mr. Potter, _OUT!_"

"But I just came to ..." Harry stuttered.

"Leave her assignments at my desk and _leave_!" She said sternly. "You are not to come back unless you are injured! Now _GO!_"

Hermione heard Harry mutter something about ferrets under his breath and he stuck his head through the curtains quickly. "Sorry, Hermione, I had a detention with Snape. I'll find another way to visit."

"MR. POTTER!"

Harry blanched and waved quickly. "See you later ..." And he was gone.

_Harry, why'd you have to go and do that for?_ Hermione sighed in frustration.

_Because he protects the ones he loves._ The irritating voice echoed in reply.

_Ok, I'm getting really irritated with you, now shut up! Harry only sees me as his friend._ She reasoned back.

_Oh, is that why he tries to protect you? Or how about all the little touches and glances? Or could it be why he was so upset with the news about you and Ron?_

_I don't like Ron that way!_ She seethed angrily. She realized she was gripping the sheets so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"Ahem. Hermione, are you feeling better?" Ron's voice startled her.

"Ron? Yeah, I'm doing better." She lied. _Well, not really a lie, I'm better physically, right?_

"Ok, well, Harry told me what happened with that git Malfoy. I thought I'd come up to see if you were ok." Ron said quietly from behind the curtain. "You'll be out tomorrow?" He asked nervously.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron, you don't have to stand out there."

"It's ok, Hermione, I'm heading back in a minute. So you'll be cleared to go tomorrow?" He asked again.

Hermione sighed. "Yes, Ron, I'll be out tomorrow morning if Madam Pomfrey says it's ok."

"Ok. Well, sleep well, Hermione. I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow." Ron turned and left before Hermione had a chance to say anything else.

She rolled back onto her side and yawned sleepily. _Why? Why does this have to happen now? It would be so much better if I weren't stuck here._

_And where else would you go? The library? Your dorm room?_

_I SAID SHUT UP!_ She rolled her eyes and recited her Arithmancy tables in an effort to keep her mind busy but Harry's head sticking through the curtains kept creeping back to the forefront of her thoughts and she found herself trying desperately to push the ensuing daydreams from her mind.

_This is too hard. I can't do this! I have to get past this! And tomorrow is the Hogsmeade trip ..._ She yawned again and this time she was too tired to continue. Within a few minutes she was asleep.


	4. I’m Over You!

CHAPTER FOUR

I'm Over You!

"Miss Granger, why are you still here? I said you could leave fifteen minutes ago." Madam Pomfrey said with a slight smile. "You don't have to wait for your friends to come and get you."

Hermione sighed. "I was just finishing up a chapter so I'd be at a good stopping point, Madam Pomfrey."

The nurse shook her head. "I've never known any student who read and studied as much as you do." She laughed heartily. "Alright, finish your chapter then it's time to go. You need to get some breakfast in you."

Hermione smiled and looked back down to the same page she'd been staring at all morning. She had a dreamy look in her eyes and all she could think about was Thursday morning.

_

The hospital wing around three.

_

"Hermione, wake up."

She rolled over and tried to push the hand that was shaking her shoulder away. "Leave me alone, Lavender, I'm fine." She said groggily.

"Hermione, it's me."

She opened her eyes sleepily and looked around. "Harry? Where are you?"

"Right here." He opened his invisibility cloak slightly so that she could see him. "I told you I'd find a way." He winked at her.

Hermione blushed but looked at him sternly. "Harry! If Madam Pomfrey catches you it'll be another detention!" She hissed quietly to him.

Harry shrugged. "Like I don't get enough already." He gave her one of his trademark roguish smiles.

"What are you doing back? I know you said you'd visit ..." She blinked more sleep away from her eyes and absently tried to comb her hair with her fingers. _I must look a mess!_ She blushed again.

"Well, I wanted to continue our conversation, but since I was kicked out I had to wait till the coast was clear." He admitted.

Hermione's eyes went wide. "You want to keep talking about that?" She asked incredulously.

"That and now that it's after midnight." He reached behind his back and pulled out a small package. "Happy birthday, Hermione." He said with a smile.

"Harry, you didn't have to." She smiled back as he passed the gift to her. She opened it as quietly as she could and found a jewelry box under the paper. She looked up at him suspiciously. "What's this?"

"Open it." He said with a smile. "I got that for you before we ..." He cleared his throat. "Before we went to the Department of Mysteries."

"You got this for me back then?" Despite herself she couldn't keep the smile from spreading across her face. Harry nodded with a lopsided grin. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, just open it." He said with a wave of his hand. He looked around cautiously to make sure that nobody had spotted him.

Hermione opened the velvet jewelry box with shaking hands and her hand went to her mouth to cover the gasp she let out. "Harry! This ... This is beautiful. How did you know?" She looked up to see him smiling happily.

"Do you like it?"

She looked down at the silver, heart-shaped locket that was twinkling in the moonlight. She had spotted it last year in Hogsmeade and went to look at it every time there was a trip there. With a shaking hand she pulled it from its satin pillow and turned it over in her hands. "Why would you get this for me?" She asked quietly then she stiffened when his hand rested on her arm. _Yes! Why not his _GIRLFRIEND_?!_ She felt the anger start to grow within her.

She looked into Harry's glowing eyes and his smile vanished. "Hermione? Don't you like it? You were looking at it the last time we were in Hogsmeade and I bought it when you went to Scrivenshafts."

She pulled her arm away from him and closed the box. "Here, you should give things like this to your _girlfriend_, Harry." She hissed through clenched teeth. She slapped the box into his hand to his astonishment.

"But ... But I got it before Ginny and I even started dating." Harry stammered back.

"How do you think she'll feel if she found out you got me something like this for my birthday? Haven't you learned anything since _Cho_?" Hermione bit back at him. At the mention of Cho's name Harry took on a confused look.

"I ... Well, I don't think I really ever liked Cho." He admitted. "But this is a completely different situation, Hermione, Ginny doesn't mind that we're friends."

"That is not a gift you give to a _friend_, Harry." Hermione replied evenly. "Thank you for dropping by and wishing me happy birthday and all." She rolled her eyes when she said happy. "But I need to get back to sleep if I'm going to get any better."

"Hermione ..."

"Good.Night.Harry." She said in a tone that told him she was finished. Hermione turned her back to him and pulled the covers to her chin. She heard him sigh and whisper good night before his footsteps echoed to the door. Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and rolled to her back but winced when something small and hard jabbed her in the side. She reached behind her and felt a small, velvet box. _He left the locket._ After she retrieved the box, she opened it and pulled out the sparkling, silver heart and undid the latch. Inside was a picture of the three of them from first year smiling at the camera and waving every so often. The photo version of Hermione kept glancing at Harry in what she had thought was a subtle way but the camera showed her otherwise. She cried herself to sleep while she held onto her gift for fear of losing it.

_

Gryffindor common room two days later.

_

As luck would have it, everyone seemed to be sleeping in today. Hermione sighed in relief and carried her things back to her room. She tried to navigate through the dark to her bed but found it nearly impossible to do without her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room. She reached for the drawstring to the curtains next to her and opened them slightly. The light streamed through the window and immediately illuminated everything before it.

"Hey, close the curtains! It's Saturday!" Lavender pulled her blankets over her head and groaned in protest.

Parvati sat up and yawned. She looked at the intruder in a daze and her eyes went wide. "Hermione, you're back!" She slipped to the floor where her slippers waited and she went across the room to envelop her friend in a hug. "Are you feeling better now?" She asked with a bright smile.

"What? Hermione's back?" Lavender sat up quickly and smiled at the confirmation her eyes gave her. She crossed the room and hugged Hermione as well and smiled. "Had enough of those potions then?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes, I'm fine. I was actually trying to drop off my books and go down for some breakfast before anyone got up."

"Even Harry?" Lavender asked with surprise.

Hermione frowned. "Yes, even Harry." She said evenly. "I don't need to tag along with him everywhere."

Parvati quickly placed a hand on her forehead. "Are you sure you're better?"

"Cut it out." Hermione grinned despite herself. She batted her friend's arm away with her free hand and crossed to her desk. She set her stack of books precariously on top and they wobbled and spilled to the floor. A black, velvet box bounced off the stone and skidded to a stop at Lavender's feet.

"Ooh! What's this?" She bent quickly before Hermione could even register that Harry's gift was missing and blanched at the pair of squeals that came from across the room.

_Oh, great!_ Hermione huffed to herself. "Ok, you've seen it, can I have it back now?"

"But, Hermione!" Lavender squealed. "Who gave it to you?" She looked at Hermione's blushing face and smiled wide. "Harry did, didn't he?"

Without a word, Hermione crossed the room and snatched the open box from Lavender's hands. "He shouldn't have." She said quietly as she put the box in one of the pockets in her robe.

"Why not?" Parvati asked with a frown. "How long have you two been together? Two, maybe three years by now?"

Hermione looked at Parvati crossly. "What do you mean?"

"We've known that you two have been dating since before the Tri-Wizard tournament, Hermione." Lavender said curiously.

"What?" Hermione looked at them shocked. "Have you forgotten about Cho Chang? And to answer your question, we're only friends."

Lavender smiled. "Oh, I forgot all about her ... Then did you get together this summer?" Parvati looked at Hermione expectantly.

"We never got together." Hermione said in frustration. "You two are as dense as Harry is! Haven't you seen him all over Ginny?!"

Parvati's smile disappeared. "Well, now that you mention it."

Lavender sighed in agreement. "I guess I didn't really notice, I stopped pining after Harry when I found out that you liked him."

"What? When did I ever say that?" Hermione asked furiously.

"In your sleep." Parvati said with a smile. "Oh, the stories we could tell! There was this one time you were giggling and told him that your father would kill him if he found out what you were doing ..."

Lavender smiled eagerly. "What were you two doing?"

Hermione closed her eyes. _One ... Two ... Three, breathe deeply._ "That is something I'll know and you won't find out." She said in a quiet even tone. "Now I'm going to get some breakfast if you'll excuse me." And with that she barged out of the room.

_The nerve of those two!_ Hermione fumed to herself. _That's it! I'm putting a silencing charm on my curtains before I go to bed!_

Hermione stormed through the common room and out through the portrait hole. She didn't bother to stop and talk to anyone and sat with a huff at the Gryffindor table. The smell of sausages and bacon filled the air and almost instantly the plates filled in front of her. She looked at the food and felt her stomach groan in anticipation.

"Finally some real food ..." She sighed with a smile. Hermione began to fill her plate with scrambled eggs and when she went for the sausage she found the plate empty. "W-what?" She blinked and looked around.

"Morning." Ron said around a mouth full of the missing sausages.

"Ron, that's disgusting!" She made a face and went for a piece of toast that was thankfully still on the table.

Ron shrugged and smiled in return. "It's good to see you up and about, Hermione." He placed a hand on her shoulder as he sat down. "Are you ready to go to Hogsmeade today?"

Hermione blanched. _I forgot! That was today?_ She looked at him nervously and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Ron. I completely forgot about Hogsmeade and was planning on catching up on my studies. I still haven't taken my Charms test ..."

Ron frowned slightly and to Hermione his face seemed to take on a pained expression. "Wait, why don't you bring your books with you? You can study at the Three Broomsticks!"

"Ron, you know I can't study with all that noise going on!" She rolled her eyes. "I need someplace quiet, like the library or the common room."

"Well, how about the Hog's head?" Ron said enthusiastically. "Students rarely go there and most people keep to themselves."

"I don't know, Ron, that's a pretty seedy place." Hermione said quietly. _He's trying hard, isn't he?_ She pulled away from his hand by reaching for the plate of bacon he had missed.

"Come on, Hermione." Ron insisted. "You'll get out of the castle, you'll have a quiet place to study, and we can share a butterbeer or two, well, not literally mind you."

Hermione sighed as she thought it over. _Well, I do need to get rid of this cabin fever I've developed and I would like a butterbeer..._

"Good morning, Ronald." A dreamy voice said from behind them.

Ron blanched and nearly fell off of the bench at the greeting. "Uh ... Hi." He stammered.

Luna Lovegood didn't move from her spot and just looked dreamily at him for a moment before she turned to Hermione. "Hermione, would you mind helping me with some of my Transfiguration homework this afternoon?" She asked quietly as she put her _Quibbler_ back in her bag.

Hermione smiled. "Well, I was thinking about studying in Hogsmeade. I've gotten a bit of cabin fever being cooped up in the hospital wing."

"Oh, how can you study on a Hogsmeade trip?" Luna asked nonchalantly. "Don't you get distracted when you're with Harry? I always see you, him, and Ron laughing together when you're out."

"Well, I don't think Harry will be joining us this time." Hermione said absently. "Ron asked if I would go to the Hog's Head and have a butterbeer there. I guess I could study there. You're welcome to join us if you want." Hermione looked up at Luna and smiled.

Luna nodded as a far away look settled in her eyes. "I'll just get some breakfast then, mind if I sit here? Nobody's at the Ravenclaw table yet."

Hermione nodded and turned back to Ron. "I hope you don't mind, Ron." Hermione said apologetically. "It is one of the duties of a prefect to help other students with their schoolwork ..."

Ron cleared his throat and stood as the tips of his ears started to turn red. "It's ok." He almost growled out. "I'll meet you in the common room when you're ready to go." Ron turned on his heel and left the Great Hall.

"Ronald is so cute when he's flustered ..." Luna sighed dreamily before digging into her breakfast.

Hermione closed her eyes. _What kind of melodrama have I gotten myself trapped in?_ She looked down at her bacon and sighed. "I really would have liked some sausage. Ron knows I don't like bacon."

A saucer of sausages was set down next to her egg-filled plate. She glanced up at her benefactor and froze. _Why him?_ "Morning, Harry ..." She forced a smile and looked back to her plate.

"I saw Ron inhale the sausage." Harry said quietly. "I know you don't like bacon so I stopped by the kitchen for a fresh batch. Hope you don't mind."

Hermione blushed. _Why do you do this to me, Harry Potter? Just when I'm getting irritated with you ..._ She shook her head. "I don't mind, thank you, Harry."

"Harry! Come on! I want to be first to Puddifoot's before the best tables are taken!" Ginny called from the front hall.

Harry sighed. "Coming, Gin!" He shouted back.

Hermione looked up at him. "Puddifoot's? Don't you hate that place?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but Ginny wants to go." He shrugged in defeat. "Are you going to Hogsmeade today?" He asked and Hermione could swear that his eyes had lit up.

"Um ..." She lost her ability to think coherently when she looked into his glittering, green eyes. Eyes that she wished she could fall into and never have to come out of.

"We're going with Ron." Luna chimed in absently.

Harry's eyes widened for a moment then darkened slightly. "Oh, I guess we'll see you there then." Harry smiled his fake smile again and stiffened when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Harry, we're going to miss out on the best tables!" Ginny reiterated in frustration. She looked at the table and smiled brightly. "Hermione! You're out of the hospital wing!" She bent and gave her a quick hug. "Are you feeling better?"

Hermione smiled politely. "Yes, I feel quite a bit better. I got tired of the hospital wing though."

Ginny grinned. "I know what you mean. I'm sorry I can't stay and talk longer, Harry promised me he'd take me to Madam Puddifoot's." She linked her arm with Harry's and gave him a gentle tug. "See you later?"

Hermione nodded with her polite smile still firmly in place. "Have fun." She forced with a wave.

With a smile, Ginny waved then pulled a despondent Harry out of the Great Hall. Hermione turned back to her breakfast and realized she'd lost her appetite.

"I don't know how those two got together." Luna commented after washing down a piece of toast with a gulp of orange juice.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quietly as she pushed her plate away. "Harry seems to think they've bonded rather well."

"Is that right?" Luna pursed her lips. "I remember last year and how he was after his godfather died ... I still don't see how they got together. I mean, you've been his closest friend for how long now?"

Hermione looked at the table. "About five years." She admitted quietly. "But the two of them have been completing each other's sentences. I saw them talk to each other with a glance." Hermione sighed. "I wasn't there for him for the first time I can remember and Ginny was ..."

"Think about it." Luna said absently. "Its obvious he takes you for granted. Ginny was just someone who happened to be there for him at the right time." She explained. "If you talk to someone all the time for a summer, you're bound to pick up the sentence finishing thing and communication with a glance. They must have done a lot of talking ..."

"But Ginny's been in love with him for a long time ..."

"Oh, that crush? She'd given up on it last year." Luna said as a dreamy look crossed her face. "Well, I'll wait for you in the entrance hall." Luna grabbed her bag and left while whistling a tune that Hermione recognized.

_Weasley is our king ... She really does have it bad for Ron._ She smiled softly and went to her room for her books. She told Ron she'd be down in a minute and after stuffing her bag near to bursting, she met up with him at the portrait hole. "Ready?" She asked with a smile.

Ron smiled back and opened the door for her. Hermione stepped through and subconsciously shifted her bag to the hand closest to Ron.

"Well, Harry and Ginny will be out of our hair for the day." Ron said eagerly. Hermione frowned. "There's only so much of those two I can handle in one sitting."

"Ron, why are you acting that way? _You're_ the one who got them together." Hermione said pointedly. "I mean, I'd think you'd be happy for them."

"I don't see you jumping for joy for them, Hermione." Ron said with a frown. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they're together."

Hermione nodded absently as they caught up with Luna. "Hi, Luna, are you ready to go?"

Luna looked at Ron and nodded silently. Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's shudder and she shifted her books to the other hand as Ron put her between him and Luna.

"Where do you want to go first?" Ron asked nervously. He kept trying to pace himself with Hermione and Luna so that she consistently blocked his view of her. More than once Hermione noticed that he looked at her bag of books and a slight scowl crossed his face.

"Well, Madam Puddifoot's is out of the question." Hermione chipped in to the agreement of Luna. "To tell you the truth, I'd like to stop by Scrivenshafts and get a new quill or two and then hit the books. I've fallen too far behind."

"Hermione, you've got your assignments finished a month in advance." Ron said incredulously. "Why can't you take a day off?"

Hermione found that they had already made it to the village. _Wow, time went by fast for once._

"Did you hear me Hermione?" Ron asked impatiently.

"What?" She looked at him in surprise.

Ron sighed. "I'm going to make a quick run to Honeydukes." He said impatiently. "I'll meet you at Scrivenshafts."

Hermione nodded absently and trudged down the road to buy some new supplies. She sighed when she noticed that she was alone. _I don't know how long I can keep Ron at bay ..._ She entered the store and a few minutes later found herself leaning against the building as she waited for Ron to show up. She looked in her bag of purchases and sighed. "I spent too much money this trip ..."

There was an unmistakable giggle that came from between Gladrags and Scrivenshafts and Hermione stiffened. Before she could control herself, she looked around the corner of the building and saw Harry and Ginny kissing passionately. The color drained from her face as the pulled apart.

"Isn't this better than Puddifoot's?" Harry asked cheekily.

Ginny giggled again. "It's not all about physical contact, Harry, I want a bit of romance too, you know."

"But Madam Puddifoot's isn't romantic at all. I actually have bad memories from that place." He protested.

Ginny pulled him into another kiss and pulled away playfully. "But you've never been there with me!" She replied playfully. "Come on, Harry, for me?" Hermione turned away and leaned against the building again.

_Why on earth did I have to be so curious!_ She groaned in disgust. She closed her eyes and began to massage her temples.

"Hermione? HERMIONE?!" Ron called to her.

"What?" She turned on him quickly. "Oh. Hi, Ron."

"Are you ok? You look kind of pale."

"I'm fine." She said with a wave of her hand. "Come on. Let's go get something to drink." She said with a tired sigh. She picked up her school bag in one hand and her new purchases in the other and nearly marched to the Hog's Head.

_The nerve of them! In broad daylight! OUTSIDE!_ She growled to herself. She reached for the door to the inn but her hands were both full. _Damn it!_ She went to shift her bags so that she could open the door but Luna beat her to it.

"I've got it, Hermione." She said with a smile and opened the door for the others.

"Thanks, Luna." Hermione walked in and found the place more deserted than usual. The barkeep looked up at her and then went back to cleaning the dirty glasses with his dirty cloth.

The three of them went to a table and sat down.

_I need to get that scene out of my head!_ She cursed.

"Did you see Harry and Ginny back there?" Luna asked nonchalantly. "You'd think that they would show some proper decorum."

Ron grimaced. "I'm glad I didn't." He said offhandedly. "I got enough of that all summer."

Hermione sighed. "Can we talk about something else?" _I don't want to be reminded. I don't want to hear anymore ..._

Ron continued without noticing her request. "I mean, how can those two keep snogging all the time? If they weren't talking, they were curled up together under a tree or something."

Hermione sighed. _There is one way I can forget ... at least for now ..._

_But you could get into trouble, do you want to get expelled?_ The voice warned her.

_I can't handle this anymore, I need to relax! I need to forget!_ She retorted. "You know what?" Hermione said suddenly. "I think you're right, Ron, I need a day off."

Ron looked at her as if she'd suddenly given birth to Fluffy. "What?"

"Luna, do you mind if we work on your Transfiguration homework another day?"

Luna looked at her with confusion for a moment. "Oh, yes, that's fine." She said dreamily then looked back to Ron with her eyes a little out of focus. Ron seemed to pale even more than usual.

"Well, what d-do you want to do, Hermione?" Ron tried his best to block his view of Luna.

"I think I'm going to try some Ogden's Old Firewhisky." She said determinedly.

"_WHAT?!_" Ron nearly fell out of his seat. "Why on earth do you want to try that?"

"I'm tired of playing by the rules, Ron." She said as the determination continued to build within her. "I'm going to ignore them for today and there isn't anything that's going to stop me."

"How about the fact that you could get into real trouble?" Ron returned sternly.

"So what if I do? I don't care anymore." Hermione spat back. Without another word, she went to the bartender and asked for a shot and a bottle of Ogden's best. To Ron's surprise, he gave it to her and she returned to the table triumphantly.

"Anyone else want some?" She asked as she opened the bottle and poured a liberal amount in her glass. Without waiting for a response she downed the harsh liquor in one gulp and choked for air as the flaming hot liquid slid down her throat.

_ I knew you were going to regret that ..._ The irritating voice said sarcastically.

_Shut up!_ She barked back. _I don't want to constantly think for once!_

"Hermione!" Ron went to her side worriedly and put his hand on her back and started rubbing it. "Are you ok?"

Hermione shrugged his hand off angrily and refilled her glass. "I'm fine, Ron." She croaked. "It's a little strong, that's all." Bracing herself for the effects, she downed her second shot the same way. Her reaction wasn't as bad as the first but after a few minutes of gasping for air she could feel a slight buzz override that voice in her head she'd come to hate.

_That should show you!_ She thought slowly. She looked at the bottle in front of her and spilled more into her glass. "I think this is going to do the trick. It's not so bad after a few ..."

"I don't think you can hold your liquor well, Hermione." Ron said with a defeated tone in his voice.

"I'm ... fine ... Ron." She said slowly. She took her shot and downed the contents in one gulp again. "I'm feeling better that I have since ..." She stopped and thought for a second. "Since the Hogwarts Express." She finished. Her vision was starting to blur as she reached for the bottle again. She felt Ron's hand on her wrist.

"I think that's enough, Hermione, what's gotten into you?"

She looked Ron in the eyes and frowned. "What do you mean? I was sick, _remember_?" She shook her head and immediately regretted it. "Wow. This is weird ... I've never felt so dizzy before."

"Maybe you should have eaten something before you tried this stuff, Hermione." Luna said quietly.

Hermione looked at the petite blonde and smiled. "I'm fine, Luna. I'm jusht trying to forget for a day, thatsh all." She slurred.

"What are you trying to forget?" Ron asked quizzically. "That's not like you."

"I want to forget ..." Hermione hiccupped. "I want to forget about H-Harry and Ginny." She stammered. "It sheemsh I haven't yet ..." She pulled her hand from Ron's grasp and poured more whisky into her shot glass. "Here'sh to being shingle!" She slurred as she thrust her glass clumsily in the air, spilling a bit of the drink onto the table. She went to bring the glass to her lips but Ron had taken a hold and pulled it from her.

"I think you've had enough." Ron said sternly. He put the cap on the bottle and asked Luna to return it to the bartender. Luna did as she was asked and Ron turned to his friend.

"Hermione, what is wrong with you?" He forced her to look at him. "We're friends, aren't we? You can tell me."

"Ron, I d-don't want to hurt you." She looked away. "I can't tell you about Harry."

Ron stiffened. "What about Harry?" He asked quietly. "Did he tell you something about You-Know-Who and not me?" He asked in a whisper.

Hermione shook her head. "No, he told you about the propeshy, right?" She whispered conspiratorially. She was feeling quite good compared to earlier.

Ron nodded grimly. "Is this what this is about?" He asked.

Hermione shook her head.

"I don't like seeing you like this, Hermione." Ron said with concern. "We need to get you back to the school."

Hermione giggled. "I can't shtop thinking about Harry." She blurted out. "But he'sh wi-with Ginny." She scowled at her friend's name. She didn't even realize that Ron had pulled her into a standing position.

"Whoa, hold on there, Hermione." He said quietly. "Luna, could you get her books? I'm sure she won't mind if you shrunk them down."

"I feel kind of good." Hermione giggled as Ron tried to hold her up.

"Come on, Hermione, I need you to walk now."

She smiled. "Anything for you, Ron, you're my besht friend." She tried walking and she looked down at her feet. "My feet sheem to be moving fashter than me ..." She giggled again, finding the situation too ridiculous to believe and not really caring.

"What happened on the Express that made you do this?" Ron said as he literally dragged her up to the main road.

"I found out about _them_!" She whispered drunkenly. "Then I shaw them ... I shaw them kissh ..." She started to cry. "It makesh me MAD!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Hermione!" Ron hissed. "Keep it down! What if Malfoy sees you like this?"

"Who caresh?! Harry shure d ... doshent!" She shouted back. "He can't even shee what'sh under hish ... under hish noshe!"

"What? You're not making any sense!" Ron shot back in frustration. "What do you mean, 'He doesn't see what's under his nose'?"

Hermione looked at him pointedly ... "You're blind too." She said as clearly as she could muster. "Maybe if I ... maybe ... It worked for G-Ginny ..." She hiccupped and looked at something in the distance ...

_I can't think ..._ She sighed happily ...

"What worked for Ginny?" Ron asked her. He had stopped in front of Gladrags and looked at her.

Hermione pushed away from him. "That'sh it!" Her eyes lit up in sudden understanding. She turned and walked determinedly up the road with a confused Ron staring after her. He came to and ran to catch up but she had somehow made it to Madam Puddifoot's rather quickly even with the way she was stumbling up the road.

"Hermione!" He called after her.

She ignored him and opened the door. Hermione glanced around the small, gaudily decorated shop and found Harry and Ginny at a corner table. "Harry!" She waved for him to come over. He looked at her in confusion and after saying something to Ginny wound his way through the tables to her.

"Hermione? What happened?" He stepped back after he caught the smell of liquor seeping from her. "Have you been drinking?" He asked incredulously.

"I need to talk to you, now!" She said demandingly and stumbled out of the door and past a frustrated Ron. Harry followed her a few minutes later and caught up to her in the same alley he was with Ginny earlier.

"Ron what happened?" Harry asked concernedly.

"She went out of her mind and started drinking Firewhisky." Ron admitted. "She said something about you and I being blind then babbled about Ginny and then came up here. She's quite the lightweight it seems."

"Harry, you are blind, and I'm tired of waiting for you to open your eyesh." She said drunkenly.

"What?"

"Let me finish." She held up an unsteady finger and looked quizzically at what could have possibly been two Harry Potter's. "I'm over you, Harry Potter. You hear me?! I'm over you!"

Harry's jaw dropped. "What? Y-You're over me?"

Hermione nodded seriously.

"What ... When?" Harry stammered as Hermione's eyes rolled back into her head as she passed out and fell into his arms.


	5. White Flag

**A/N:** Hey, thanks for all the reviews! I know, I know, H/G??? WTF? Where's the H/Hr? It's starting ... Everything that you've been waiting for is going to happen, questions answered, ships returning to their proper ports (so to speak ... heh) ... It all starts here, it starts now. And then it'll finish. I'm sorry I irritated everyone with the H/G scenes, but they were a necessity to push Hermione over the edge. Good catch on the Friends episode. It jumped in my head and I knew exactly what I had to do! KUDOS to you all for picking up on that!. This chapter is sponsored by Dido and her song: White Flag ... Lovely song indeed! And without further ado ...

_And when we meet  
As I'm sure we will  
All that was then  
Will be there still  
I'll let it pass  
And hold my tongue  
And you will think  
That I've moved on  
  
Well I will go down with this ship  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flag above my door  
I'm in love and always will be ...  
(White Flag – Dido)_

CHAPTER FIVE

White Flag

Hermione sighed happily as she snuggled into the warmth of the covers and rolled to her side with a content smile crossing her rosy lips. She inhaled deeply and stopped at the familiar smell in the air.

_What?_ She thought slowly. Her mind didn't seem to want to work properly so she opened her eyes instead. The onslaught of morning light assailed her now pounding head and made her cringe nauseously and snap her eyes shut tightly.

_What happened?_ She put a hand to her eyes and pulled herself into a sitting position on the bed. Hermione fought the stabbing pain in her skull and squinted against the light to look around the one room hut.

"W-Why am I at Hagrid's?" She wondered aloud. A cool breeze floated through an open window and she shivered. Her eyes went wide when she looked down to see that she was only wearing her panties. There was a knock at the door and Hermione quickly pulled the blankets up to her chin.

"'Ermione? Are yeh awake?"

_HAGRID!? Oh, please don't tell me!_ She thought frantically. _What happened ... what happened? I can't remember anything after Ron helped me up ... Oh God!_

"'Ermione? I'm comin' in." Hagrid said from the front door. Hermione lay back down partly to keep her hangover in check and partly to cover the rest of her bare flesh. She winced as the door opened and she buried her head under the covers.

"Ah, yeh are awake then." Hagrid said seriously. "Right fine 'ouse elf, that Dobby. 'E went an covered for yeh las' nigh' an' even brough' yeh a fresh set o' clothes."

Hermione sighed under the covers.

"Yeh'll find a potion teh take care o' tha' 'angover on th' bedside table." Hagrid said soothingly. "Yer clothes are righ' here." Without another word, he turned and left the hut, closing the door gently behind him.

"What did I get myself into?" Hermione sighed to herself. Despite her best efforts, tears began to well in her eyes and she didn't make a move to stop them. With a final sigh of defeat, she took the potion Hagrid told her about and downed it in a few gulps. She winced at the taste but sighed happily as the throbbing in her head receded and she began to think clearly again. Her nausea disappeared almost immediately and she pulled the covers from her face and looked around.

_Ok, what happened? I don't think that Hagrid would ... _Her heart stopped at the thought. _No, of course not, he wouldn't do that ..._ She shook her head and reached for her bra. _But I've been here all night! I could get expelled!_ Worry started to crease her face and her heart started pounding as a panic attack started to settle in. She fastened her bra and slipped into her clothes.

Hermione had just finished dressing when there was another soft knock on the door.

"'Ermione? Are yeh decent?" Hagrid asked with concern from the front of his tiny house.

"Yes, Hagrid." Hermione called back dejectedly.

Hagrid opened the door and stepped in. She could see the concern on his face even through the bushy black beard. "Are yeh feelin' better?" He asked quietly.

Hermione nodded as the tears started rolling down her cheeks again. "H-how did I get here?" She asked quietly.

"'Arry an' Ron brough' yeh here las' nigh'." Hagrid said concernedly as he sat in his favorite chair. "Yeh were righ' ou' of it."

She wiped the tears from her face and sat back down on the bed. "Why was ..." She cleared her throat and looked at the floor. "What happened to my clothes?" She asked almost too quietly.

Hagrid nodded. "I was wonderin' if yeh was goin' teh ask." He cleared his throat. "Luna took them off o' yeh after yeh were in bed."

Hermione sighed in relief. "I don't remember anything from last night, Hagrid." She admitted.

_It's what you wanted._ A voice said in the back of her head. Hermione wiped away a new set of tears that started pouring down her cheeks.

"Wha' in th' world made yeh do it?" Hagrid asked quietly. "I hope yeh realize tha' Firewhisky ain't th' way teh forget."

Hermione nodded. "I've learned that ..." She said with a slight smile. She looked at Hagrid and couldn't help herself. She went to her friend and broke down in his arms.

"I'm sorry, 'Ermione. I wish I could do more fer yeh." He said quietly as he patted her back.

"You've done more than enough, Hagrid. I'm sorry I imposed."

"Yeh didn't impose." He said gruffly. "'Arry an' Ron weren' abou' teh le' yeh ge' caugh' an' expelled."

_I don't remember seeing Harry ..._ Hermione thought hard. "When did I see Harry?" She asked herself quietly.

Hagrid shrugged. "They dropped yeh off here an' said they had teh ge' back teh th' school. They were in a righ' state I tell yeh."

Hermione looked at him curiously. "Why?"

He smiled softly at her and motioned for her to have a seat. "Well, yeh know the talks we had abou' 'Arry ..."

Hermione blanched. _Madam Puddifoot's ..._ Her hand came to her mouth to stifle the gasp of horror that seemed to be stuck in her chest. Her eyes went wide as everything spilled into her head.

_She ignored him and opened the door. Hermione glanced around the small, gaudily decorated shop and found Harry and Ginny at a corner table. "Harry!" She waved for him to come over. He looked at her in confusion and after saying something to Ginny wound his way through the tables to her._

_"Hermione? What happened?" He stepped back after he caught the smell of liquor seeping from her. "Have you been drinking?" He asked incredulously._

_"I need to talk to you, now!" She said demandingly and stumbled out of the door and past a frustrated Ron. Harry followed her a few minutes later and caught up to her in the same alley he was with Ginny earlier._

_"Ron what happened?" Harry asked concernedly._

_"She went out of her mind and started drinking Firewhisky." Ron admitted. "She said something about you and I being blind then babbled about Ginny and then came up here. She's quite the lightweight it seems."_

_"Harry, you are blind, and I'm tired of waiting for you to open your eyesh." She said drunkenly._

_"What?"_

_"Let me finish." She held up an unsteady finger and looked quizzically at what could have possibly been two Harry Potter's. "I'm over you, Harry. You hear me?! I'm over you!"_

_Harry's jaw dropped. "What? Y-You're over me?"_

_Hermione nodded seriously._

_"What ... When?" Harry stammered as Hermione's eyes rolled back into her head as she passed out and fell into his arms._

"I-I didn't ..." She whispered quietly as her shoulders slumped. She looked at Hagrid who was looking at his hands and she just sat in stunned silence.

"'Arry looked like 'e'd seen a ghost an' Ron, well I've never seen 'im so red." Hagrid replied quietly.

Hermione hid her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. "Hagrid, what have I done?!" She choked out.

He sighed heavily. "It'll all work ou', 'Ermione. Those two really care abou' yeh." He handed her a large handkerchief and smiled gently at her. "O' course, it's goin' teh take a bit o' time teh work itself ou'."

Hermione nodded silently. "I-I guess I should get up to the school." She said finally. "I'm going to have to face this mess I've gotten myself into."

Hagrid stood with her and gave her a quick, comforting hug. "Yeh'll be surprised." Hagrid said tenderly. "Yeh have a good set o' friends there."

Hermione chuckled hollowly. "I wish I could believe that." She wiped her face and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. She looked into his caring face and smiled softly. "Thank you, Hagrid."

Hagrid blushed slightly. "Any time, 'Ermione, jus' don' be startin' any bad habits tha' involve Firewhisky."

Hermione smiled and let out an amused laugh. "No, I won't be making this a habit." She said with a blush.

Hagrid smiled. "Tha's good. Now yer friends are waitin'."

She gave him a quick hug and stepped out into the morning light. With each determined step towards the castle, she felt the dread grow within her. Hermione looked from the ground and concentrated on the doors of the castle before she stopped suddenly. She let out a miserable sigh and quickly hid behind a bush when she spotted Harry and Ginny leave the castle on their way to the lake.

_That's where we used to go when he wanted to talk._ She thought glumly. Not wanting to burst into tears again, she concentrated on Ron instead.

_What am I going to say to him?_ She frowned and concentrated on what she would say when she met him. A speech quickly formed in her mind and she began to recite it over and over in her head. She peeked over the top of the bush and found the way clear.

Hermione stood determinedly and strode to the castle's front door and went inside. It was still pretty early and the inhabitants of the school were still enjoying their time to sleep in. Hermione found little to no activity along her chosen path and the common room itself was devoid of life.

"Where is everyone?" She asked quietly then turned towards the girl's staircase. She stopped when she heard someone clear their throat by the stairs to the boy's dormitory. Hermione looked back to see Ron glaring at her.

"Hi, Ron." She said quietly and turned towards him. "I-I guess I have some explaining to do."

"_Some_?" Ron said in a barely audible voice.

Hermione flinched and motioned for him to have a seat in their normal spot by the fireplace. He joined her reluctantly but when he looked at her, his face softened.

"Hermione, why didn't you just tell me that you were interested in Harry to begin with?" He asked quietly.

"I-I didn't want to hurt your feelings, Ron." She admitted as she looked at her hands. She could feel him still looking at her and she fidgeted a bit in her chair. "After I found out that you were interested in me, I guess I was afraid that I'd lose your friendship if I turned you down."

His hand cupped her chin and he gently guided her gaze to meet his. She saw her best friend staring at her intently with a lingering sadness in his eyes and he let out a deep, shuddering sigh. "Hermione, we've known each other for five years now." He dropped his hand back to his lap. "Sure, we fight, and I assumed it was because you liked me so I kept starting them again, hoping to pull your attention from Harry." He rubbed his tired eyes. "After we got you to Hagrid's, Luna pulled me aside and we talked."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, but you didn't run?"

Ron scowled at her. "I was a little too shocked at the moment, Hermione." He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I didn't come to argue with you, I'm tired of that." He admitted. "Luna and I had a talk and she made me realize how much you really like Harry." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to respond. "It's no use, Hermione, I know, if not by what you said to him, but the way you've always acted around him. I'm not saying that I'm ok with this. To tell you the truth I'm bloody angry, but there's nothing I can do about how you feel." He looked into her eyes and smiled apologetically. "I need some time." He said quietly. "So please, don't talk to me for a while?"

Hermione nodded silently. When Ron got to his feet, she did as well and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Ron." She whispered. He hugged her for a moment then pulled away. Without looking back, he left the common room.

Hermione wiped away the tears that she didn't even remember releasing and sat back on the couch. She buried her face in her hands and let some of her tension release.

_Let's hope that confronting Harry and Ginny will be that easy._ She sighed and looked around the room. _Nothing to do but wait till those two get back._ She changed her mind and went to her room where she found her clothes from the previous day folded neatly on her bed. The locket was sitting on top of the pile along with her wand. Her bags were by her desk. She sat on her bed and opened her birthday present from Harry. The locket glittered even in the dim light that was in the room. A scrap of parchment fell from the lid of the box and fell into her lap.

"What's this?" She picked it up and unfolded the note.

_Hermione,  
We really need to talk. Room of Requirement, 20:00.  
Harry_

Hermione sighed again as she re-read the short note. "Well, I guess I know when and where I'll get the third degree from him." Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, she grabbed her wand and stuffed the locket into her jeans pocket. Within a few minutes, she found herself walking the school grounds alone. Time seemed to stand still as she made her way down to the hillock that overlooked Hagrid's and the Forbidden Forest. Picking a spot next to a large boulder, Hermione took a seat and leaned back to let the sun cover her in its warmth. This was countered only by a brisk gust of wind that blew in from the lake.

"_THERE YOU ARE!_" Ginny screamed at her. Hermione jumped at the sudden, angry voice and backed against the boulder involuntarily. "_WHERE DO YOU GET OFF TAKING HARRY FROM ME?!_" Ginny was seething, her face was more red than Hermione had ever seen Ron's and with the wind blowing her long, red, hair, it looked like Ginny was on fire.

"Ginny ... Let-Let me explain." Hermione stammered.

Ginny went for her wand and had it pointing at Hermione faster than she could blink. "No, Hermione, you listen to me. I told you that I loved him! I told you about my insecurities for him! And what do you do?! You go and yank him out from under me!"

"It wasn't like that, Ginny!" Hermione stammered. She thought about going for her wand but knew about the infamous Bat-Bogey Hex and she didn't want to be the recipient. "J-just put the wand away and we can talk–"

"I'm tired of talking with you, Hermione!" Ginny spat back. "I've watched you pine for him and not make a move. Year after year, and I finally get the courage to do something that you obviously didn't!"

Hermione stiffened. "You knew I liked him?" She asked evenly. "You've known for how long?" Hermione's eyes went wide, not with shock but with revelation. "Did you know I was going to talk to him this summer?"

Ginny gulped despite her anger. "That's neither here nor there, Hermione!" She spat back. "The point is, I got to him first!"

Ginny didn't know what hit her. "_EXPELIARMUS!_" Hermione's wand had somehow appeared in her hand.

"Don't you _EVER_ point a wand at me, Ginny Weasley." Hermione said in an angry, cold voice. "Here, I thought you were my friend! All the nights we've spent talking about guys, our wedding days, _EVERYTHING!_ How many times did you stay up listening to me talk in my sleep?"

Ginny's face had lost all color when she'd realized that Hermione was so quick with a wand. She flinched at the accusation.

"I thought so! Is that how you figured out how to talk to Harry? _ANSWER ME!_" Hermione took a menacing step forward.

Ginny blanched and scrambled back from Hermione. She'd only seen her mother get so angry and it was usually at the twins.

"I'm waiting." Hermione bit out evenly.

Ginny nodded quietly, not taking her eyes off of Hermione's wand.

"Why, Gin? Why would you do this? Haven't I always been your friend? You were like the sister I never had." Hermione's shoulders slumped and she brought her free hand to her face to wipe away the tears that had somehow started to fall.

Ginny looked at her quietly and didn't respond.

"I guess I know why you treated me like a sister for so long." Hermione sighed. With her anger rapidly being replaced with sadness she dropped her wand and walked past Ginny. "I've got to find Harry ... We need to sort this out."

Hermione didn't know what hit her. Ginny tackled her from behind. "_STAY AWAY FROM HIM!_" She bellowed and wrapped her arms around her. Hermione stumbled and fell backwards, the two of them caught each other in the fall and they started struggling madly. Hermione pulled on Ginny's hair in an attempt to get her off and Ginny scratched at Hermione's eyes in an attempt to keep her from Harry.

The two girls rolled on the ground screaming and kicking at each other until two strong hands pulled them apart and lifted them to their feet.

"_LET ME AT HER!_" Ginny screamed wildly, trying to grab at Hermione even though the task was futile.

Hermione glared at the screeching young woman strangely. "Ginny! What's gotten into you?!"

Hagrid cleared his throat. "What's goin' on 'ere?! Why were yeh fightin' each other?"

Ginny ignored the two and pulled herself forward with enough force that her shirt started ripping. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw her best friend's shirt come off and she tore at Hermione's eyes again. "_STAY AWAY FROM HIM! HE'S MY FUTURE!_" Ginny bellowed in an inhuman voice.

Hagrid was stunned by the strength Ginny displayed and watched the half-naked Weasley barrel into Hermione again. After overcoming his shock, he pulled the two apart again, trying to be careful where he touched the angry red-head.

"Ginny? What-What's that on your chest?" Hermione looked at her friend in horror. Between Ginny's petite breasts was a large, gray lump, about the size of a brain. There were red lines wrapped around her body as if she had been tied up for a long period of time. "Oh, God, Ginny! Not from the Department of Mysteries?" Hermione felt bile rise in her throat and immediately fell to her knees in a fit of vomiting.

"'Ermione?!" Hagrid went to the shuddering girl on the ground.

Hermione looked up at Hagrid as her vision started blurring. "Ha-Hagrid?" She asked dizzily. "Why are you staring ...?" Hermione felt the strength start to leave her arms and she started falling forward but someone caught her.

"Hermione! Are you all right?!"

_Harry?_ Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the blurry form of Harry in front of her. He cradled her in his arms as he picked her up.

"Harry? Love? Wh-what are you doing?" Ginny asked nervously. "Harry, put the wand down ..."

"_STUPEFY!_" Harry shouted and Hermione caught a glimpse of red hair as it dangled from the unconscious girl in Hagrid's arm.

"Hermione, we need to get you to the hospital wing, hold on." Harry shifted her slightly and she put her arms around his neck.

"Harry ... I'm sorry ..." She said weakly. Her vision was starting to get worse and she became very sleepy.

_I just need a little nap. Just for a little while._ She thought sleepily.

_NO! YOU HAVE TO STAY AWAKE!_ The other voice said.

Hermione's eyes snapped open again and she realized that Harry was the one who was telling her to stay awake.

"Don't you dare go to sleep, Hermione, stay awake!" He jostled her a bit so that she couldn't get comfortable enough.

"I just ... just need a little nap ..." Hermione complained weakly. "Let me take a nap, Harry ..."

_It feels good to be here ..._ She thought contentedly.

"Hermione! STAY AWAKE! HERMIONE ..." Harry was shouting and she could barely hear a word of his wonderful voice. She looked up and saw the white walls of the hospital wing and looked into his deep green eyes.

"I'm ... sor ... ry ... Ha ... ary ..." She said sleepily as her strength gave out. She felt a pinch in her arm and an icy cold feeling spread across her body.

"_Hermione! Don't give up! I'm right here!_" She heard Harry cry from a great distance.

_Harry ..._ Hermione sighed contentedly as everything went black ...


	6. One of Their Own

CHAPTER SIX

One of Their Own

Hermione's eyes fluttered open to the bright sunlight that was streaming through an open window in a room she did not recognize. She looked around in a state of panic but visibly relaxed when she saw the slumbering form of Ron Weasley in an overstuffed chair in the corner.

As she regained her calm, analytical mind, she surveyed the room with an intense, investigative eye. A small table was firmly against one wall. It held a few rolls of parchment, a pitcher, and a glass. The bed she was in was comfortable, but not overly so and adorned in white linens. She glanced at her arm and realized for the first time that she had a potion drip attached to her.

_I'm not in the hospital wing._ She thought critically. _It must be St. Mungo's._

As if on cue, the door to her room opened and a very anxious looking Robert Granger stepped quietly inside. His eyes immediately landed on her fully aware face and a wide smile of relief washed the worry from his features.

"Hermione, my sweet Hermione, you're awake!" He rushed to her side and pulled her into a gentle hug. "How are you, sweetie?" He asked with an overabundance of fatherly concern.

Hermione hugged her father back with her good arm and felt tears escape her closed eyes. "I'm fine, Dad, a little tired, but I'm ok."

He pulled back and smiled even more broadly at his daughter. "Don't move, I'm going to get your mother, we've been worried sick!" He dashed from the room noisily, startling Ron from his nap.

"Wassit? Is Hermione ok? What's wrong?" He looked around frantically and finally stopped on the rolling eyes of his best friend. "Don't roll your eyes at me! We didn't think you'd make it!" Ron said in a huff but he couldn't hide the smile that quickly grew on his face.

"How's Ginny?" Hermione asked as her expression immediately became serious.

"She's fine." Ron said with a wave of his hand. "She's feeling much better after she was enervated."

"Did they remove that brain from her chest?" She asked.

Ron opened his mouth but before a word could come out, the door swung open and Hermione's mother was standing in the doorway. She let out a sob and rushed to her daughter's side and pulled her into yet another hug.

"Oh, Hermione, we thought we'd lost you!" Elizabeth Granger gasped between sobs. "I've never seen you in such a state!"

Hermione hugged her mother back with as much strength as she could muster from her one arm. "I'm fine, Mum." She said reassuringly. "If it hadn't been for Harry ..." Hermione looked at her mother. "Where's Harry?" She asked quietly.

Elizabeth glanced at Ron and her husband before looking determinedly back to Hermione. She let out a soft sigh and looked to the covers. "He's with Ginny." She said quietly.

Hermione felt the tears well in her eyes before she could summon the strength to stop them. "I-I see ..." She said quietly as she blinked back the tears. "So, Ginny is alright?"

Ron cleared his throat. "She's fine, Hermione."

She looked at her red-headed friend quizzically. "I-Is she here at St. Mungo's?"

Ron shook his head. "We're not at St. Mungo's." He admitted, looking to the floor. He sighed heavily. "I-I'll go get Harry and tell him you're awake." Without looking back at Hermione, Ron stood and left the room.

"Where are we if we're not at St. Mungo's?" Hermione asked her mother. "We can't be in the hospital wing of Hogwarts ..."

Her mother shook her head. "No, we're not at Hogwarts either." She glanced back at her husband who looked at her pointedly as if he were giving her a warning.

"Mum ... Dad ... You're both starting to scare me. Where are we?" Hermione said shakily. She felt her heart start to flutter and felt constricted under the sheets and started to breathe rapidly. _I don't feel so well ..._

A moment later, Harry stepped into the room. He looked at her with concern and walked quickly to her side. "Hermione, are you ok?" He felt her forehead and cheek with the back of his hand. "She's getting colder." He said absently.

"H-Harry? Where are we?" She gasped and looked pleadingly into his green eyes. They'd lost their sparkle and his face had a deep look of concern written across it.

"She's not getting enough air." He said to her parents. Robert Granger nodded and opened the window. Immediately the smell of salty sea air assailed her senses.

"How did we get by the ocean?" She asked curiously. To her amazement, the smell of the salt air helped her breathe better and she calmed somewhat. "Harry, please answer me ..."

Harry sighed and pulled up a chair before he took her hand and smiled softly. "I thought you were lost for a minute there." He admitted quietly.

"Everyone keeps telling me that, _obviously_ I'm awake and fine!" Hermione huffed as the frustration started to build within her. "You've been with Ginny?"

Harry nodded.

"Well? How is she?"

Harry smiled. "She's none the worse for wear." He said with a slight chuckle. "To think that she had let the secret out ... but everything's going to be fine, Hermione."

"What secret? Harry, _WHERE ARE WE?!_" She tried to move her legs and arms but for some reason she didn't have control over them.

_Yes ... The emotion ... I ... Crave ... The ... EMOTION!_

Hermione's eyes went wide. _Those aren't my thoughts!_

_Panic ... Hate ... Anger ... LOVE! OH THE LOVE!_ The foreign thoughts assailed her mind again.

Hermione tried to move but couldn't and in desperation she looked at Harry pleading with her eyes when her mouth failed to move as well.

_HARRY! HELP ME!_ She screamed silently at his smiling face.

Harry seemed to sense her panic and leaned forward. He reached out to her and slowly hooked his finger on the sheet just above her breasts and pulled it down. She screamed silently in horror at the sight of the gray mass that was throbbing in the center of her chest, firmly nestled in the valley that had recently developed over the summer holiday.

_TERROR ... OH, THE TERROR!_ The brain seemed to throb with each word and she felt the tentacles of thought that wrapped around her abdomen shiver in ecstasy.

Hermione's horrified gaze shot to Harry who was now looking lovingly at the alien creature that was slowly merging with her own body.

'_Don't worry, Hermione, you'll be one of us soon ..._' She heard him speak in her head but his lips didn't move.

'_That's right, sweetie._' Her father added. '_Don't fight it, we want you with us._'

'_Only a little longer, honey._' Her mother stepped forward and put a loving arm around her father.

_No! I don't want this! I don't like this!_ Hermione screamed in her mind but her body was paralyzed and she could only cry in response.

'_Now you know how I felt at the Department of Mysteries, Hermione._' Ron's voice echoed in her head. He stepped into the room and smiled appreciatively at her. '_Soon you'll want to be with me and Ginny can continue to repopulate our race with Harry._'

Harry smiled reassuringly at her as he rose from his chair and placed his hands on her shoulders. '_Don't fight it, Hermione. You'll like it with us ..._'

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Hermione found herself sitting bolt upright in bed frantically trying to shake off the person trying to hold her down. "Get off! GET OFF! I don't want that! NO! GET AWAY!" With a panic born of desperation, she began punching and kicking her assailant. "GET AWAY HARRY! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

Harry struggled to keep his panicked friend from knocking him out. With as much strength as he could muster he shoved her back into the bed but she kept kicking and punching him.

"HERMIONE! CALM DOWN!" He shouted at her.

Hermione caught him in a right cross and sent his glasses flying across the room. He grabbed both of her wrists and in one motion crossed them in front of her and forced her back into the bed.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." He said quietly to the woman who was struggling madly under his weight. Tears fell from his cheeks as he lifted his hand and brought it down with frightening speed.

Despite her desperate attempt to get away, Hermione flinched at his swing and closed her eyes. When she didn't feel an impact she turned and looked at the man above her. His hand had stopped mid-swing and tears were silently falling from his bowed head.

"Ha-Harry?" She asked nervously. He looked into her eyes and she saw the anguish he was feeling reflected in his glistening emerald gaze. He instantly dropped his hand and pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace that brought tears to her eyes. "Harry! I'm sorry!" She cried in his arms as she returned the embrace with every ounce of strength she had.

"You're ok." He whispered into her hair. "You're ok, thank God, you're ok!" He wept unabashedly as he buried his face in her hair.

She choked back the sobs that were wracking her body. "I'm here, Harry." She whispered to him and pulled back to look into his eyes once more. She caught sight of the look in his face and the tears began to roll down her cheeks again. "What happene–"

Her question was cut off with by the sudden press of his lips against hers. Her stomach knotted up and her heart leapt to her throat. The dream she'd just had and every question she was about to ask were suddenly whisked from her mind and an intense heat began to spread through her body. She had only dreamed of how soft his lips would be or of how sweet his taste. Her skin was on fire everywhere he was in contact with her and she felt giddy with dizziness. Massive flashes of light exploded behind her closed eyelids and she felt as if she were literally melting in his strong arms.

He pulled away from her too soon and she found herself lying limp in his arms with her mouth slightly open and her eyes tightly closed. Realizing that he was no longer kissing her, she slowly opened her eyes to see his tear stained and worry filled face studying every feature of hers.

"H-Harry ..." She gasped after she realized she hadn't been breathing.

"Hermione, I thought ..." He gulped and closed his eyes to fight back the tears that were threatening him again. "I didn't think I got you here in time ..." He sat on the side of the bed and released a deep, shuddering breath before he pulled her into another tight hug. "I didn't think you were going to make it, we cut it so close ... I was such a fool!"

Hermione pushed him away gently. "What happened? I-I remember you telling me to stay awake ..."

He sighed heavily and his shoulders bowed as if a tremendous weight was suddenly set on his too thin frame. "It was Ginny." He said quietly.

Hermione felt the anger begin to build within her at the youngest Weasley's name. "What was wrong with her, Harry?" She asked a little too harshly. He flinched and looked to the floor. "Was that one of the brains from the Department of Mysteries on her chest?"

Harry buried his face in his hand and nodded after a shuddering breath left him. "Yes." He said simply. "It seems the mediwizards concentrated on her ankle and didn't bother to give her a full examination after the battle."

Hermione's eyes widened in horror. "What ... What happened to her?" Harry let out another fit of sobs and Hermione's anger disappeared. "Harry, I-I'm so sorry ..." She said as the realization that Ginny didn't make it sank in. Tears began to fall from her eyes and she pulled Harry into a comforting hug. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry she's gone." She whispered to him through her own sobs.

Harry cleared his throat. "She-she's not gone." He said quietly.

"_WHAT?_" Hermione pulled back. "She's ok?" Harry nodded quietly. "What's wrong then?" She asked suspiciously.

"Can you forgive me?" He asked quietly. "I was such a fool, Hermione."

"Forgive you for what?" She asked as she felt a sickness rush over her.

_Please, don't tell me you slept with her, please ..._ She shook her head in disbelief at the implications.

"I let her come between us, Hermione. Whatever that brain was that attached itself to her tried to use me to ..." He choked back a sob and turned from her. "It tried to use me to make more ..."

"Harry ... Don't tell me ..." Hermione brought a hand to her mouth to try and hold in the dread that threatened to spill from her.

Harry's head fell and his shoulders slumped as a deep shuddering sigh left his lungs.

_I don't believe it ... He ... He actually had sex with her ..._ Hermione's eyes grew wide in shock and she involuntarily pulled farther from him.

Harry shook his head. "I fought against her, Hermione." He admitted. "We were down by the lake and she took me to a place that I hadn't noticed before. There ... There was a saltwater pool back in the trees and she started pulling at my pants ... I tried to stop her but she got angry and pushed me to the ground, I didn't think she was that strong."

Hermione shook her head in horror and felt the bile rise in her throat but she was so shocked she couldn't move.

"I felt her enter my head and she started to sound so compelling ... I watched as she pulled my pants off but then ..." Harry turned to her and smiled softly. "But then I heard your voice in my mind and I went into an Occlumency trance." He looked down and placed a trembling hand on hers and squeezed it reassuringly. "After that, I found I could act on my own and I pulled away from her before she could get any farther. Before I knew what was happening, she'd pushed me to the edge of the pool ..."

Hermione couldn't stop the tears of relief from spilling from her eyes. She took Harry's hand in hers and he pulled her into a hug.

"There were others in the pool and one tried to drag me in, but I fought it off ..." He pulled back from her and took a deep breath. "When I got far enough away I saw that she was going back to the castle. Somehow I knew she heard your voice too and I had to stop her. I couldn't let her do anything to you ..." Tears began to flow down his cheeks again and he looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to control them. "I didn't think I got there in time and when I saw the bloody welts on your face and neck, I nearly lost it."

"That's when you stunned her?" Hermione asked quietly.

Harry nodded. "But the creature that had bonded with her had modified her fingernails so they secreted poison ..." He choked back another sob. "I tried to keep you awake but you kept slipping from me ..."

Hermione cried harder. She buried her face in her hands and Harry pulled her into another hug. "I was so sleepy and all I wanted to do was take a nap ... I just wanted to sleep ... I heard you shouting to stay awake, Harry ..."

"Luckily, Harry got you to the hospital wing in time." Dumbledore said seriously from an opening in the curtains. The couple looked at him in surprise and the old wizard smiled comfortingly at them. "It's good to see you awake again, Hermione." He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"How's Ginny?" She asked quietly as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"She'll be fine. She's resting in St. Mungo's as we speak." He smiled softly at her. "You gave us quite the scare. Luckily for you, the Ministry has the antidote to the poison you were subjected to."

Hermione smiled softly. "What are those things, Professor?"

The headmaster's smile faded. "They are a race of ancient beings that have lurked in the deepest parts of the Saint Marianas Trench." He explained softly. "They live by attaching themselves to a host and feeding on the emotions their prey emit. Some years before I became a professor here, a few venturous wizards discovered them and brought a few specimens back for study." He cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, we lost the lives of a hundred people, both muggle and magical in five months.

"We don't know the name of the species, but we do know that they use their host's body as a means of reproduction. One sexual encounter with someone afflicted can spawn upwards of fifty or more new creatures that are ready to feed on new hosts in a matter of days."

"Oh, no ... How bad is Ginny?" Hermione gasped with wide worry filled eyes.

"She'll survive." Dumbledore said sadly. "But she'll have nightmares for years ..." His eyes took on a glazed look as if he were remembering what it was like. "Those tendrils that they have are actually the memories of previous victims. If it hadn't been for the quick thinking of Neville Longbottom, your friend Ron would have suffered the same fate as his sister. Undoubtedly, he suffers from nightmares from his brief contact, but Ginny may live with them for the rest of her life. If we hadn't gotten her to St. Mungo's she would have lived for another few months or until she successfully bred."

Harry blanched and reached for something to hold on to. Hermione quickly helped support him. "Harry? Are you ok?"

"It seems he's gone into shock." Dumbledore said quietly. "Harry, sit here, that's it." The old wizard guided Harry into the chair at the side of the bed and pulled out his wand. "_ENERVATE_" he said quietly and the color returned to Harry's face.

"What j-just happened?" He panted. Harry gripped the armrest with such force that his knuckles went white.

Dumbledore sighed and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "The empathic control that ... Ginny had on you is leaving your system." He explained quietly. "Though, there wasn't much to control when your heart so firmly belonged to another." He finished with a smile. "Don't stay awake too long, Hermione. And Harry, you should return to your bed and let your body right itself."

Harry nodded absently at the orders and looked directly at Hermione. "Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore." He said quietly, not letting his gaze leave hers.

Hermione wished the headmaster a good night as well but neither had noticed that he'd already left.

"So ..." They said simultaneously.

Harry laughed nervously and cleared his throat. "Please." He said simply and motioned for Hermione to start.

She looked into his deepening green eyes and opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by another kiss. She welcomed the interruption and pulled him into a deeper embrace.

"I want you to know that I love you, Hermione." Harry whispered softly in her ear. "You've been my strength and you've always been there for me, I'm sorry I've taken you for granted and let Ginny get between–"

Hermione placed a finger over his lips. "I love you too, Harry, and we'll work this out when we're out of here." She whispered back. "Just promise me that when I wake up, you'll be here."

Harry nodded. "I won't leave you again." He whispered back as she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

**A/N:** This chapter was itching to go out earlier but I couldn't muster the strength to write until later this evening ... I think I work better when I'm up in the wee hours of the night. I hope you've enjoyed this little surreal trip of jealousy and realize that Harry has loved Hermione since the beginning ... There are some things that can threaten a relationship, but with a love as strong as these two share, it's difficult to truly destroy it ... Have fun and thanks for reading! There may be one more chapter in the works ... You'll have to wait and see for now (other stories need my attention)...


	7. Epilogue

CHAPTER SEVEN

Epilogue

There wasn't a day that went by where she didn't dread waking up. No matter how long ago those few, short weeks were, she still had that same icy feeling in the pit of her stomach that everything she'd gone through was simply a dream and nothing more.

Hermione made her way to the Great Hall as she had every morning since the start of term and her eyes immediately swept over her classmates at the Gryffindor table. She stopped in mid stride at the sight of him. Harry was there the morning after they'd kissed, but the following few months he'd disappeared for several hours each day. She felt abandoned and alone, not being able to talk to him about everything that had happened. She refocused her attention to the present and looked back to the table.

He was talking animatedly with _her_ and their mutual best friend about something, probably Quidditch. He was smiling and laughing at some private joke the three of them shared. _She_ put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away playfully and Hermione's stomach began to squirm.

She felt anger build within her as she made her way to the table.

_Calm down ..._ _Calm down ... They're not together, that wasn't a real relationship ... _She told herself over and over as the distance closed between them.

Ron caught sight of her as she was making her way past the end of the table and said something to Harry who stopped what he was doing and turned to face the direction that Ron pointed.

Hermione's eyes met his and, as it did every time she looked into his bright green eyes, her heart stopped in mid beat. With the unspoken contact a wide, bright smile crossed Harry's face and he stood when she stopped moving. Hermione was terrified that everything they'd gone through wasn't real and that feeling of horror was washed away when Harry took her hand.

When did he reach her? She couldn't say. She was so entranced by the young man before her that all time seemed to stop and nothing else mattered.

"Hermione? Are you coming?" Harry asked quietly in her ear.

Hermione blushed slightly. "Yes, sorry, I was thinking about something."

With a laugh and a quick kiss on the cheek, Harry guided her to the seat next to him.

_Just another kiss on the cheek ..._ She thought glumly.

"What were you guys talking about?" Hermione asked with a forced smile. "Quidditch again?"

Ron grinned in reply. "A bit of that, yes." He said with a knowing look to Harry who blushed instantly.

Hermione looked at the two of them. She didn't like being kept out of the loop and the anger she felt before started to build again when Ginny leaned forward.

"We were also talking about the Valentine's Day trip to Hogsmeade." She said with a blush. "Nobody's asked me yet ..." Her eyes flicked to Harry for a moment before she sighed and sat back up.

Her anger reached its previous level and began to spill over. "Isn't _today_ Valentine's Day?" She asked through almost gritted teeth.

Harry turned to her with a curious smile. "I-It is." He said quietly. "Listen, would tonight be a good time to talk? Could we meet in the room of requirement?"

_Why's he so nervous?_ Hermione growled to herself. Unless everything _was_ a dream ... She sighed and nodded. "20:00 ok?"

"I was thinking 18:00." Harry said with a smile. "We can have dinner there as well."

She looked up at him and found that his eyes were unreadable. "Ok." She said simply. "I'm going to the library to catch up on my assignments."

"Hermione, you've done so much homework the past few months that I wouldn't be surprised if you've gotten next years assignments finished as well!" Ron said with a laugh. "Why don't you take a day off?"

Hermione shot a look at him that spoke in volumes what she thought of that idea. Ron blanched and cleared his throat.

"Right then, study away." He croaked to Harry and Ginny's laughter.

Hermione walked slowly out of the Great Hall and looked back to the three of them hunched over the table. Ginny covered her mouth and laughed silently at something that Harry had said. A strong sadness replaced the anger that had been slowly rising in her and without another word, Hermione turned and left for the library.

_I guess it was all a dream ..._ She sighed to herself.

_What do you mean? A dream?_ Harry's voice echoed in her head.

_He doesn't act the way a boyfriend should ..._ She retorted. _Look how he's acting around Ginny, that should be me ..._

_Be that as it may, it couldn't have been a dream!_

_How do you know? Stranger things have happened ..._ She sighed in resignation ... _Ginny acts like nothing's even happened ..._

_You know that she lost a good deal of her memory when she was cured ..._

Hermione shook her head ... _But Harry hasn't acted like he did when I woke up ..._ She looked up and found she was at the library already. "May as well get some studying done." She whispered sadly under her breath. With a resigned sigh she set her bag down at a free table and pulled out the assignments for the end of the term and began writing.

"Hermione?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and realized someone was trying to gently shake her awake. "What?" She said sleepily. "What time is it?"

"You've got five minutes before you meet Harry." Ron said non-plussed. "I've been looking all over for you."

Hermione stretched her sore muscles and started packing her books away. "You knew I would be here." She said evenly. "Do you know what he wants?"

Ron hid a smile and shook his head. "He wouldn't tell me. He said something about you being able to beat it out of me because you hate being kept out of the loop."

"He's right, you know." She said with a sly grin. "How's Ginny doing? Still having the nightmares?" She asked nonchalantly as she got to her feet and made sure she had everything.

Ron let out an exhausted sigh. "She might have to stay on dreamless sleep potions all her life." He said glumly. "When she woke up after the operation, the mediwizards thought she'd have to be admitted to the long-term care section of the mental ward."

Hermione gave him a sympathetic smile and followed it with a quick hug. "I can't believe she doesn't remember any of it."

Ron nodded. "It's like everything that went on over the summer never happened. It's like all of this has been one long nightmare ..." His eyes became unfocused and then he shuddered after a moment.

Hermione looked at him concernedly. "Are you ok, Ron?"

He came out of his reverie and smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine." He said quietly. "I can relate to her dreams."

Hermione pulled him into a tight hug. "Everything will be fine, Ron."

He hugged her back then just as quickly pushed her away. "You need to go meet Harry." He said with a grin, not bothering to hide it this time.

Hermione sighed. "Ron? Do you know why Harry's been avoiding me since we found out about Ginny?"

Ron shook his head. "He's been avoiding me too." He admitted with a shake of his head. "The only thing I've noticed is that Ginny seems to be gone whenever he is."

Hermione stiffened at the news. _What?_ "Please don't tell me ..."

Ron laughed nervously. "Oh, I don't think it has anything to do with that." He smiled at her reassuringly as they walked up another flight of stairs. "Ginny seems to be pining after him like her old self, you saw her drop the hint that she wasn't asked to Hogsmeade yet."

Hermione nodded as the anger she felt earlier began to build again, along with a sharp pang of jealousy that seemed to be stabbing at her heart. "Why are they disappearing together?" She asked quietly. "He distanced himself from us ..."

Hermione looked up to see the familiar tapestry across from the room of requirement. As it had been doing lately, time seemed to have sped her along faster than she had anticipated. She turned to finish her question but Ron was already at the end of the hall waving to her.

_Great ..._

Hermione walked up and down the hall concentrating on the door to the hidden room. With each pass she could feel the magic that kept the room out of sight until it was needed begin to take effect and, before she knew it, the door was standing in plain sight in front of her. With a deep breath, she opened it and looked into a room of pure, inky, darkness.

"Harry?" She called out uncertainly.

"Come in and close the door, Hermione." She heard him say from somewhere in front of her. She took a deep breath and with a shaky step, she entered the room and let the door close behind her.

Her breath caught in her throat when the dim light of the candles along the wall erupted to life and illuminated the scene before her with a soft, flickering glow. Her bag dropped to the floor and she looked around the room with stinging eyes.

There was a table set for two in the middle of the floor. Rose petals seemed to have been thrown randomly around the room to cover anything that had a horizontal surface. The fireplace was alive with orange and blue flames with Harry standing next to a soft, leather sofa near the hearth. His smile grew wider at her reaction and he walked to her when it was obvious she wasn't able to move.

"These are for you." He said quietly. She looked down at the bouquet of tulips and lilies and wiped away the tears that had begun to wind their way down her cheeks.

"Harry? What is all this?" She asked tentatively as she took the flowers from him. She looked expectantly into his dancing emerald eyes and felt her knees go weak when he put his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much." He said quietly. His eyes clouded over and his smile faded.

_No, bring back that smile!_

He lowered his head and let out a troubled sigh.

"Harry, what's wrong?" She put an arm around him and guided him to the sofa where he buried his face in his hands.

After a moment, he took a deep breath. "You should know, that Ginny and I ..."

Hermione tensed but refused to move even though her doubts started flooding through her mind. She did what she felt she needed to and put a hand on his thigh even though the jealousy returned and she could feel her anger rise again.

He covered her hand with his and cleared his throat. "Ginny and I have been going to St. Mungo's for additional treatment each night." He said quietly. "It seems that the pheromones and chemicals those brains give off have some lasting effects."

"W-What kind of effects?" Hermione said evenly, barely keeping the growl out of her voice.

Harry looked her in the eyes. "They affect the brain and how it processes emotion." He bowed his head. "That's one of the reasons I lost it when you woke up ..."

Hermione's heart sank. _He doesn't really love me? That kiss was a side effect of being controlled?_

"I wasn't fully in control of my emotions at that time and my body has been reacting to the chemicals since then ..." He looked at her sadly when she pulled her hand from his.

"So everything that happened ... it was all some side effect?!" Hermione spat at him. "Is that why you've been ignoring me? Because you ..."

Harry answered her question the only way he knew how. Hermione's eyes were wide when she realized that he was kissing her again and to her astonishment, her anger quickly dissipated and she found herself returning the much needed contact with a tight embrace.

To her regret, Harry pulled back and held her at arm's length. "Can I finish?" He asked quietly. Hermione nodded her reply. "We've been going to St. Mungo's for treatment. Professor Dumbledore allowed us to floo there every evening.

"We were both seeing psychologists to help us with the emotional trauma we'd been going through. It was suggested that we distance ourselves from our friends and loved ones so that we could better adjust and come to grips with what we were dealing with."

"Why didn't you tell us?" She asked quietly.

Harry looked to the fire and sighed. "I thought it would be better that way. I couldn't stand being away from you and it got to the point where I was getting really possessive and territorial ... Professor Dumbledore picked up on how I was acting and got me some help."

"You've been going to St. Mungo's all this time?" Hermione asked worriedly. "I was wondering if you'd abandoned me ..."

Harry pulled her into a tight hug. "I'd never abandon you, Hermione." He said quietly into her ear. "Even when Gin ... Even when I was being controlled I wanted to be near you."

She felt tears start to form again and pulled him into a tighter hug. After a moment she pulled back and looked at him sternly. "Do you expect to just kiss me, give me flowers, and then suddenly be ok with everything that I've gone through these past couple of months?"

Harry looked hurt. "I don't expect you to forgive me for anything." He said quietly. "It was my fault that all this happened ..."

_WHAT?!_

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "What in the bloody hell are you talking about?"

Harry fidgeted then turned to the fire. "If I ... If I hadn't dragged everyone to the Department of Mysteries in the first place, Ginny wouldn't ..."

"You had no control over what happened to Ginny, Harry. She didn't have any control over it either." Hermione said softly. "It's sad that she's going to have nightmares for the rest of her life, but it was most certainly _not_ your fault!"

Harry looked at her with a profound sadness lingering in his eyes but he smiled genuinely. "I do love you, Hermione." He said in a quiet voice. "That's not going to change and it tore me apart to be away from you ..." He sighed and looked to his hands that were folded in his lap. "I finished my treatment this morning and it was just in time for Valentine's Day."

Despite what had happened the past few months, Hermione's heart swelled when she heard him tell her that he loved her. She took his hand and pulled it to her lips where she kissed the back of it gently. He turned his hand over and she kissed his palm before he slid his hand over her cheek and cupped it against her face. She glanced at him and felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster as his face leaned in towards hers. Heat began to spread up her cheeks and down every limb until it felt like her skin was on fire. Her lips broke apart slightly and she gasped when his lips pressed into hers ever so slightly and his hand pulled her into him.

Her eyes closed and for the longest time she could only feel the heat of his body pressed against hers and watched sparkling lights dance merrily behind her eyelids. Her body began to tremble as her arms slid around his neck and she felt him pull her into a tight hug as he lifted her into his lap.

She didn't know how long they had kissed or noticed anything else aside from the young man that was in her arms. When they finally broke apart, she felt a part of her disappear with the loss of contact. She slowly opened her eyes and looked to the smiling face of the one person that could make her whole.

"I love you too, Harry."

**A/N**: Ok, that's that! Hope you got a little bit of closure and sorry for the bit of angst ... I want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews and comments and I would like to truly apologize for the way that Harry and Ginny got along ... As you can see, it wasn't anything that truly got in the way of Harry and Hermione's feelings, just another bump In the road for them to deal with and only made their relationship stronger.


	8. Surprise!

CHAPTER EIGHT

Surprise!

"I love you too, Harry." Hermione said quietly.

"Hermione?" Harry asked quietly, gently nudging her shoulder.

"I'm right here, Harry, why are you doing that?"

"Hermione, wake up. The movie's over ..."

Hermione's eyes fluttered open sleepily. "What?"

Harry was sitting next to her on the couch with a very red face. "You fell asleep half-way through the movie ..." He said quietly.

_Was that all a dream?_

Hermione looked around in confusion. "I was sleeping? How did we get to my house?"

Harry sighed and massaged his temples. "It's the end of the summer, Hermione, you invited us to come over for movies and snacks." He said quietly. He glared at Ron. "Could you please turn the blasted TV down a notch? My headache is getting worse."

Ron looked back with an apologetic smile and hit the volume control on the remote. The TV boomed with sound and Ron fought frantically to figure out how to reverse what he'd just done.

"Give me that, Ron." Dean said testily and yanked the remote from the frustrated Weasley. Within moments, the TV was within acceptable limits and Harry sighed in relief.

Hermione looked at him in concern. "Headache? Is it your scar?"

Harry shook his head and winced. "No, just a really bad film. If we _ever_ do this again, Ron is not in charge of choosing the entertainment."

"Hey, the movie said it was about Aurors! I thought it would be fun to watch wizards in a science fiction movie!" Ron retorted.

"Ron, this was _The Brain from Planet Arous_!" Seamus said sarcastically. "You do know how to spell Aurors, right?"

Ron scowled at his friend. "Of course I do!" He spat back.

Dean shook his head in amusement. "I second Harry's request, Ron doesn't choose the film again."

If looks could kill, Dean and Seamus would be twitching on the floor at Ron's glare. "Fine. You choose the movies from now on, see if I care." He growled irritably and crossed his arms over his chest in a huff.

"Is he still upset that we didn't like the movie?" Ginny asked from the hallway. She put a hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled gently at him.

Hermione immediately stiffened and her anger began to bubble up from somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach. She looked dangerously at Ginny who suddenly took a step back.

"Hermione? Are you ok?" She asked in shock.

Hermione looked at Harry and saw his confusion as well and fought down the feelings she had building in her. "S-Sorry." She said quietly. "J-just disoriented from a dream ..."

"Here's the ibuprofen, Harry." Ginny said evenly, looking at Hermione as if her friend were going to leap at her and scratch her eyes out.

Harry smiled at her and popped the tablets in his mouth, followed by a healthy swig from his water bottle. He looked at Hermione with concern and leaned towards her. "Are you ok? You looked rather confused when you woke up and then this ... What's going on?"

Hermione blushed and looked at her hands. "I-I guess I just had the strangest dream ... but it felt real." Hermione stammered.

Ron stood and stretched. "I am so tired." He said through a yawn as he glanced at the clock. "Hey, Gin, we don't have much time left, better catch the Floo home."

Ginny looked from Harry and sighed when she saw what time it was. "Mum's going to kill us if we get home too late ..." She left the room and returned a few minutes later with a bag full of leftovers and soda bottles. "Ron, could you get the Floo going? I'll get this stuff put away."

Harry stood and gave Ginny a quick hug that caused Hermione to see red. She tried to shake the feeling away but the smile on Ginny's face pushed her a little too far. "Hey, why don't I help you with those bags, Ginny?" Hermione said quickly. Harry had already let the blushing girl go and she looked curiously at her.

"I-I've got them, Hermione." She said taken aback.

Hermione smiled a little too sweetly and snatched up one of the bags. "Nonsense." She said with a wave of her free hand. "It's only a bag, and I want to see you off."

Ginny nodded slowly and glanced confusedly at Harry.

Harry shrugged in reply and walked with Ron to gather the rest of the things.

"Are you sure you're ok, Hermione?" Ginny asked quietly.

Hermione flushed red and looked at Ginny fiercely. "Do you still have a crush on Harry?" She asked bluntly.

Ginny was back on her heels. "What?" She looked around quickly and then looked Hermione square in the eyes. "I wouldn't do anything to get in your way, Hermione!" Ginny said as her face flushed red. "I know you wanted to talk to him about that tonight!"

Hermione blushed. "What?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten? That's not like you!" Ginny said quietly as she pulled her to the side. "Where have you been all summer? Your head must have been in the clouds or something ..."

Hermione looked at Ginny in pure bewilderment. "But I was abroad with my parents all summer ..." She said slowly. She thought hard and something fell into place.

Ginny and Hermione were huddled in Ginny's bed giggling like they were nine and reading their first romance novel. Hermione was showing off her new dress robes that she had gotten specifically so that she and Harry would match for the Valentine's Day Ball the next year at Hogwarts.

"He's actually got the forest green that complements this?" Ginny said with sparkling eyes. She was holding the soft material in her hands and a wide smile spread across her face. "This dress is so beautiful, Hermione."

Hermione laughed and pulled out the matching shoes to go with it. "I couldn't resist picking these up too. There's a charm put on them to keep Harry from stepping on my feet, if he asks me to go that is." She looked to the dress with a far away look in her eyes.

"Hermione, he's going to die when he sees you in this!" Ginny giggled loudly. She looked to her friend and put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you still planning on telling him at your place?" She asked quietly.

Hermione blushed and nodded. She felt the fear she'd been hiding since she realized how much she liked him settle in her stomach and Ginny saw it behind her eyes. "I hope he feels the same way." Hermione said as she gulped involuntarily.

"He will!" Ginny said with a reassuring smile. "He does, I'm sure of it ... That's the reason I stopped pining after him, I have absolutely no chance against you, Hermione." She said with a wan smile. "But if you don't hurry and tell him, I might just swoop in and steal him away from you!"

Hermione felt a pang of jealousy grip her heart but she hid it with a laugh. "Oh, don't bet on it, missy!" She said with half-mock anger. "No way am I going to let you lay your hands on him!"

Ginny joined in the laughter and passed the dress back to Hermione. "Better get this in your trunk before he sees it." Hermione couldn't help but see the dreamy look that entered Ginny's eyes.

_I wouldn't put it past her to try ..._ She thought angrily and caught herself before she went too far along that path. _Ginny's the sister I never had ... She wouldn't do that, would she?_

Hermione packed the dress away and looked back at her yawning friend.

Ginny snapped her fingers in front of Hermione's face. "Hey, Hermione ... Did you fall back asleep?"

Hermione snapped to and nodded slowly. "Wait ... No, I just got lost in thought, Gin." She stammered.

"Ok ... Well, I've got to go." She said sadly. "Tell me how it went in the morning, ok?" She whispered quietly and pulled Hermione into a tight hug. She pulled back with a smile and waved. With a flash of green flame, Ginny Weasley was on her way to the Burrow.

Hermione felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind and lift her into a bear hug. "RON!" She squealed in surprise.

Ron laughed and set the squirming girl back on the floor. "Well you were talking to Ginny so intensely, I didn't have time for a proper goodbye." He said with a wink. Hermione visibly cringed and Ron howled with laughter. "Well, that was downright rude!" He said with a grin.

Hermione elbowed him with a scowl on her face but burst into laughter and pulled him into a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure thing, Hermione." Ron said with a smile and a return hug. "See you on the Express!" With a wave of his hand, he stepped into the green flames and disappeared like his sister.

"Hey, Seamus, Dean!" Harry called to the family room. "You've only got a few more minutes before the Floo is disconnected!"

Seamus was the first out to the formal living room and sighed. "Well, off to school again." He said with a handshake from Harry. "See you on the train tomorrow ... Oh, and definitely no Ron picking movies next time ..."

Hermione laughed as she hugged him. "It was that bad?"

"You don't know the half of it." Dean said with a grimace on his face. "I mean floating brains that take people over? Get real!" He laughed and said his goodbyes as Seamus stepped into the fireplace and was instantly on his way home. Dean followed closely afterwards with a wave he was soon gone as well.

"Can we clean up in a little bit?" Harry asked quietly. He began to rub the sides of his head gingerly. "This headache is really killing me."

Hermione smiled and led him back to the family room and guided him down to the sofa next to her. The BBC was on the TV and Hermione turned the volume down to a more comfortable level for Harry.

Harry sighed. "Thanks." He said quietly.

Hermione smiled and leaned back into the soft couch. Her gaze drifted slowly to the boy sitting next to her and she felt her heart flutter when he looked up at her suddenly.

"Hey, do you mind if I lay my head on your shoulder? Just for a little bit?" Harry asked quietly. He'd pulled his glasses off and was pinching the bridge of his nose.

Hermione smiled softly. "Sure, let me just get the lights, they're probably wracking your brain right now ..." She pulled out another remote and hit the dimmer switch and the lights in the room dropped to near darkness. The only light that was really affecting them was the flickering images on the TV and the streetlight streaming in from the corner.

Harry sighed contentedly and gently laid his head on her shoulder. Hermione wrapped an arm around his and held on to him as he snaked an arm around her waist.

"So what was this about a dream?" He asked quietly next to her.

Hermione's shoulders drooped a little as she tried to recall everything. She told him about the Department of Mystery's brain controlling Ginny, who in turn controlled him and the dreams she woke up from within her dream ... She shook her head quietly when he described the scenes from the movie that matched what she'd gone through.

"I think you shouldn't sleep while bad movies are playing ..." Harry said with a smile. "They say that you'll incorporate the movie into your dreams ... I guess that's true."

Hermione giggled quietly. "I hope I can count on you to help me out with that ..."

Harry nodded. "I have to admit, though, you've got a pretty vivid imagination to come up with some of that stuff, Hermione." He said with a soft chuckle. "The poison tipped fingernails was pretty unbelievable ..." Hermione pinched his arm playfully. "Hey!" He hit a tickle spot that he knew he could easily reach and she squealed.

"Not fair!" She said after getting his hand under control. "You know I don't like that!"

"Especially when I'm not ticklish." He said cheekily.

She laughed. "Oh, we'll see how you feel after I get a tickling hex on you!"

Harry tightened his grip on her and smiled. "Ok, ok, no need to resort to magic!" He said with a laugh. "Knowing my luck, I'd be the one to get fined with underage use of magic!"

Hermione grinned. "Then let that be a lesson to you for tickling me!"

"Touché, Miss Granger!" He said cheekily.

Harry sat up to Hermione's disappointment and turned towards her. "Now what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" His face and tone were serious and Hermione blushed profusely.

_I'd almost forgotten ..._ She chastised herself.

Hermione turned to face him and looked to her hands which were fidgeting nervously in her lap. She concentrated on her particular nervous tick of picking at her fingernails when Harry took her hands in his.

"You're nervous, what's wrong?"

Her heart had jumped when he'd taken her hands and she was surprised at how warm his were. She followed his body from his hands to his arms, then to his broad chest and shoulders. She finally settled upon his face and looked him in the eyes.

"Harry ... I ..."

Her eyes snapped wide open when his lips met hers. Within seconds, her heart beat to a deafening roar in her ears, a small country's worth of butterflies were released in her stomach, and she felt a warm, tingling sensation cover her body causing her skin to ripple and turn to gooseflesh. She started to close her eyes and kiss him back but he'd already pulled away. She opened her eyes and saw him looking back at her with his magnificent green eyes and she felt as if her soul were bared to him at that moment.

"I hope I made the right choice." He said quietly. "I ... um ... overheard what you said in your sleep."

Hermione froze. "I don't talk in my sleep."

Harry nodded. "Alright, I'm sorry for listening in on your dream." He said with a slightly lopsided grin.

She blushed but cleared her throat. "Wait a minute ..."

_He just kissed me!_

She looked at him as her eyes went wide again. "Are you telling me ...?"

Harry nodded.

"You feel the same way ..."

Harry nodded again.

Hermione blushed. "D-Do you think we're ready to take this further?"

Harry kissed her again and this time she kissed him back. She was less shocked this time but the feelings only intensified once she realized that Harry shared her feelings for him. They broke apart breathlessly and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Now, what was all this with Ginny?" He asked with a smile.

Hermione blushed again and pulled away, just enough so she could look him in the eyes without craning her neck. She smiled weakly and relayed the parts of the dream she'd left out about how jealous she'd gotten during the whole ordeal. Harry smiled comfortingly and pulled her back to him.

"She doesn't hold a candle to you, Hermione. I told you everything as soon as I got to Grimmauld Place ... There's no way I would have been so open with her." He explained quietly. "I hope you realize that she's a sister to me ..."

Hermione smiled into his chest at the confession and she sighed in relief. "I do now." She said cheekily. "And don't you dare! I'll keep my promise with that hex!"

Harry immediately moved his hands back to their previous position and stammered an excuse. "I was just shifting, honest." She could hear the smile in his voice and the jealousy that she had harbored towards Ginny eased away.

"I'm sorry I was jealous, Harry." Hermione said after a few minutes in his warm embrace.

He kissed the top of her head and laughed. "That's ok." He said with a grin. "I just hope that you don't learn to hate love like you did in your dream ..."

Hermione grinned. "Well, don't make me jealous again!" She said with a laugh.

**A/N:** Well, there's the surprise in Surprise! I slipped in the challenge: Harry leans on Hermione, Based on a true event by Witch of the Web! Sneaky, sneaky. A little fluff, a little angst (ok, a lot of angst) and a lot of confused readers when the DoM brains came into play ... Heh oh, and SURPRISE! This is now the real end of this fic. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone with the previous plot ... Dreams are the stuff of legend ...


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